Anything For Love
by Fae'sFlower
Summary: Fiyero Tigulaar is determined to get to know Shiz's resident green girl. The problem is, she doesn't want anyone to get to know her. So he makes it part of his mission to discover why and break through her walls. Fiyeraba.
1. A Life Never Lived

**Wow! Hello, everyone! I know it's been a hot second (or… more like a scorching-fire second), since I've posted anything, but I'm back and I've been working on this story for a while, and it's finally time to post it. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Fiyero Tigulaar huffed as he leaned against the bulletin board outside the history classroom. Bored, he played with his uniform tie, loosening it, as he waited for Galinda to get out of class. He would have gone, anything to spend more time with his girlfriend, but he really didn't want to listen to the old Goat harping on the past instead of just teaching them history. He had promised his parents he would really try at Shiz University, and he was trying. It wasn't his fault the professors didn't want to make learning interesting.

He picked at his nails, a bad habit Galinda was trying to get him to break. The bell was seemingly taking forever to ring. His stomach growled, reminding him that he forwent breakfast (something he rarely did), and that a sandwich at The Quilted Stone sounded heavenly.

After what seemed like forever, the bell rang and the door swung open. Fiyero watched as his classmates filed out of the room, chatting about the lesson and other things. His eyes immediately landed on his girlfriend, standing out with her blonde hair pinned back by her favorite rose clip.

"Hi, Fifi," Galinda smiled, standing on her toes to gently plant a kiss on her boyfriend's lips.

"Hi, Glin," he smiled. Oz, they were just so perfect together. Fiyero Tigulaar, Crown Prince of the Vinkus, and Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, the most popular girl in their year. "How was class?"

"Ugh, dreadful," the blonde groaned as she slipped her arm through Fiyero's and they made their way to the café for lunch. "Dr. Dillamond lectured the whole time on how to improve our essays. I thought mine was perfectly fine, though he gave me a C-minus. And only one person got a good grade."

"Who?"

"My stupid, annoying roommate."

The Vinkun prince had heard rumors about his girlfriend's roommate, all of them centering around her verdant skin. The rumors ranged from her eating grass as a child, to extreme ones like her soul being so unclean that water can melt her. And all of the students believed those rumors and everything in between. And while they were spreading these rumors, they never used her real name. Instead, the opted for substitutes like 'artichoke', 'green bean', 'frog', and anything else that was green and considered gross. And Fiyero was almost positive her parents didn't name her 'Asparagus' when she was born.

Now, even though he had been at Shiz for two weeks, he had never actually seen her. He didn't go seeking her out, but he thought spotting a person with green skin wouldn't be very hard.

"She's impossible! She doesn't have any social skills, nor does she talk to anyone, and is always snapping at me for the littlest things. Once, I asked her if I may borrow one of her pens, and she looked at me as if I had murdered her entire family before ignoring me. Needless to say, I didn't get the pen, but that's beside the point. She's an enigma. She doesn't care about anyone or anything except her books."

"You're so good for enduring her."

"I wouldn't be enduring her if there were more private rooms available. I still don't know how they could have misplaced my housing information. But enough on that. We have a lunch date to get on with."

"We do," the prince grinned, giving her another kiss and holding the door for her when they reached the café.

Galinda spent the rest of her day with her boyfriend, and by the time she returned to her shared (unfortunately) room, her roommate was already in bed. The curtains were drawn, plunging the room into complete darkness, so the blonde had no choice but to turn on the lights.

"I was sleeping."

Galinda didn't respond. Her roommate seemed to make it a game out of ignoring her, so she planned on doing the same.

"It's rude to turn the lights on when someone is sleeping."

"You would know a lot about being rude, wouldn't you, artichoke?" Galinda sneered. "I need the lights on."

The green girl sat up, exposing the top half of her shapeless nightgown. "And I need them off."

"Well, that's just too bad. Anyways, what are you doing in bed so early? It's only nine-thirty. Don't you have homework and essays to finish?"

"Don't you have parties to go to and boys to flirt with?"

"At least people _want_ to have me around. No one can stand the sight of you."

Whether the green girl was too tired to continue the argument or simply didn't have a response was unknown to the blonde as she laid back down with a huff and turned away from the light. She took her time getting ready for bed and only turned the light off when she was fully finished. Hopefully, a single room would become available the following semester.

* * *

"Miss Elphaba!"

The green girl stopped and turned, wondering who had addressed her by her actual name instead of one of the horrid nicknames the students of Shiz insisted on using. Other than the professors, she was convinced no one else knew, or cared about, her real name. "Hello, Madame Morrible."

"I've been searching for you. I must speak with you in my office," the Head Shiztress said before walking away, clearly expecting Elphaba to follow her.

Elphaba, of course, did. The Head rarely left her office, especially to seek out students, so this had to be extremely important.

"Have a seat, dearie."

Elphaba sat, her gaze floating down to her folded hands in her lap.

"Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you, Madame."

The old woman sat down and pulled a letter out of her desk drawer. "Your father wrote to me again."

Elphaba looked up and stiffened. "He did?"

"Yes. He's concerned because you haven't been responding to his letters. He understands that you are very focused on your studies, but penning him a quick letter reassuring him that you're still alive won't take very long. He's worried about you."

_No, he's not_, Elphaba thought.

She was about to retort that she knew her father didn't actually care about her, but thought the better of it. She didn't want to open _that_ can of worms. He probably ran out of lies to tell when people asked about her. She couldn't stop replaying the last conversation they had, before she went off to Shiz, which seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Miss Elphaba, I'm not going to pry into the relationship you have with your father, whether it be good or bad, but please write back to him. This time, he threatened to come here just to make sure you're still here if he doesn't receive a response from you."

_Where else could I go?_ Elphaba wondered. "Yes, Madame."

"You promise you'll write him back?"

"I promise, Madame."

She regarded the young student. "Good. Thank you, Miss Elphaba. You may go."

Elphaba nodded and quickly left the office. She made a beeline for her room, and breathed a sigh of relief when she opened the door to find it empty. She didn't want to have to deal with her roommate at the moment. She couldn't believe her father had written to Madame Morrible again. She knew it would have been too easy for her father to pretend that she was dead. No matter how much they both wanted to pretend otherwise, she's the one who lived, and they both would have to live with that.

Elphaba sat at her desk and quickly penned the letter to her father. Once she was finished, she crumbled it up and shoved it into the back of her drawer.

She'd promised Morrible that she'd write him back. She never promised that she'd actually _send_ the letter. She doubted he would go through with the threat and come, anyway. The Governor of Munchkinland wouldn't take time out of his busy schedule to care about the daughter he wished he never had.

* * *

_Animals should be seen and not heard._

The bright red words stood out against the black chalkboard. The class all held their breath, no one daring to make a sound or move.

"Who is responsible for this?" Dr. Dillamond asked, his voice wavering slightly as he tore through the silence.

No one dared respond.

"I'm waiting for an answer."

Elphaba wanted to look away, but for some reason, couldn't bring herself to. Her eyes were glued to the board. Who could have done such a thing?

"Very well. That will be all for today."

He began to clean up, but paused when no one moved. "You heard me! Class dismissed!"

Everyone hurriedly scampered up and practically flew out of the classroom. Elphaba, of course, stayed behind.

"Animals should be seen and not heard?" she questioned.

Dr. Dillamond jumped slightly, surprised that someone had stayed. He glanced at her before quickly flipping the board around, showing his timeline of the last five hundred years instead. "Miss Elphaba, don't worry about me. Go join your friends."

"That's alright. I have no friends," she said with a dismissive shrug.

"Come now, Miss Elphaba. Surely you must have –"

"No one wishes to associate with me. It's the green. It's very off-putting."

The professor shot her a sympathetic glance before looking back at the board.

"You shouldn't let ignorant statements like that bother you," Elphaba said, even though it was no longer visible. "They're just meaningless words. Words can't hurt."

The Goat smiled kindly. "Oh, Miss Elphaba. If only they were just some meaningless words on a chalkboard."

"What do you mean?"

Dr. Dillamond beckoned Elphaba closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "It's… the things one hears these days. Dreadful things. Times are changing, Miss Elphaba. Oz is changing. People are fearing things that are different than what is expected."

"I'm familiar with that," Elphaba said, her lips curling into a slight smile.

"This isn't a good change, my dear. There is danger in the loss of diversity. Something bad is happening in Oz. It's been bubbling beneath the surface and gaining power behind the scenes."

"What are you talking about, Dr. Dillamond?"

"I'm talking about the Animals, Miss Elphaba. You've noticed that I'm the sole Animal on the faculty, and there are no Animal students at Shiz. I told you that it used to be different. This change, this movement, is working to strip Animals of the little rights we have left. I know it's only a matter of time before it reaches me."

"No," Elphaba breathed. "They can't do anything to you. You're brilliant! You're one of the best professors here!"

"The rumors are –"

"You can't listen to and believe baseless rumors."

"Miss Elphaba, all rumors start with a sliver of truth."

"But that truth –"

"That truth can be a lot of things, yes. I must accept that fact. They can take away my job, they can do whatever they want to me, but as long as I keep my voice, they will never fully stop me. Miss Elphaba…"

Elphaba met the doctor's gaze.

"You must keep your voice. Promise me that you will."

Elphaba nodded. "I promise, Doctor."

* * *

_"Fabala… I love you so much, Fabala. Never forget that. Mama loves you."_

_"Elphaba! Help me! Please!"_

_"Get out of my sight, you wretched curse! It's your fault she's dead! You killed her! You killed both of them!"_

Elphaba shot up as her eyes flew open. Her breath came out in jagged spurts, before slowly returning to normal. She didn't hear the rustling of her roommate's sheets, so thankfully, she didn't wake her. She slowly laid back down and reached under her pillow. Her fingers wrapped around the familiar, small, green, glass bottle she always kept under her pillow since she was a little girl. She tried not to think of the voices she heard in her dream, but they didn't want to leave her alone. She couldn't stop thinking about the events that brought those voices to her remembrance. Slowly, she calmed herself. She was an expert on self-soothing, having done it her entire life. She didn't need anyone to comfort her. She was fine all by herself. She didn't need or want anyone else's help.

She took the bottle from under her pillow and held it against her heart. She wasn't going to cry. She hadn't cried in years. Crying hurt too much. Every time she felt like crying, she wouldn't. She had to stay strong. Besides, crying wouldn't change the past. Crying wouldn't bring the two people she cared about the most back. Crying wouldn't change the fact that it was her fault they were gone.

Sleep slowly started to cover her and she drifted off, but before it wrapped her in its comforting blanket, she gently slipped the green bottle back to its rightful place under her pillow.

There was no use in dreaming of a life that never was… nor ever could be.

* * *

**One is done! Updates will be every other day. Reviews are super!**


	2. Letters and Loathing

Elphaba hated rain.

She hated how it always seemed to rain on the days where she had to walk across campus for class. She hated how when it rained, it was always accompanied with strong gusts of wind. She hated how the strong gusts of wind would blow the rain in all directions and through her thin raincoat.

Most people considered water a source of life and prosperity, allowing plants, humans, and animals (and Animals) to live and thrive. It was a source of life. But for Elphaba, water had the opposite effect. Water was pain. Water was anguish. Water was death.

She pulled her raincoat tighter against her body, but it did little to help. Her umbrella had been blown inside out, and then ripped by a tree branch, so it was now useless in protecting her. She finally made it back to her room and stripped her wet clothes from her body with a loud sigh. Her roommate was gone, and she quickly made her way over to her small bookshelf, grabbed her favorite novel, and curled up on her bed. She didn't know how long she had been reading, but the next thing she knew, the sun was going down and the door to her room swung open and her roommate sauntered in.

"Miss Elphaba," Galinda said curtly.

Elphaba ignored her, as usual.

"You know, if I'm to be stuck with you for at least the rest of the semester, the least you could do is be civil to me."

"I'm sorry, but I thought we weren't speaking to each other," Elphaba said without looking up from her book. "That's what you said not even five minutes into us being roomed together."

"It's polite manners to respond when someone greets you. Though, I doubt you have much experience with people willingly talking to you."

"You seem to like starting conversations with me, Miss Galinda."

"Someone has to be the bigger person around here."

Elphaba was about to make a joke about how she was half-a-head taller than the blonde, but swallowed it. "How _good_ of you," she said through gritted teeth. "The perfect, spoilt, rich girl must become a martyr and deal with the horrible green bean she's been forced to room with. _How horrendible._"

"You are impossible! Must you continue to make my life miserable?"

"The only reason I'm at Shiz is to make your life miserable, Miss Galinda."

"Well, it sure seems like it." With a huff, the blonde grabbed her bag and hurried out the room, slamming the door behind her.

Elphaba didn't even flinch at the loud noise. Instead, she pushed her glasses back up her nose and turned the page.

* * *

It was no secret that the Vinkun prince loved parties. It also wasn't a secret that his love of parties was what caused him to be kicked out of his previous schools. But that didn't stop him from throwing a party at The Ozdust Ballroom on a school night.

It was Wednesday. He quickly made his way to Crage Hall, carrying a bouquet of flowers for his girlfriend. He climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked down the hall to Galinda's door. He knocked, and the door opened almost instantly. Though, the sight that greeted him wasn't his pretty girlfriend.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed as he jumped back.

Before him stood the green girl, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. She didn't say anything, just stood there in the doorway. "What?" she finally asked.

"I'm… you're green." _Real_ _suave, Fiyero._

She didn't seem fazed. She didn't even react to his statement at all. Was that something she was used to hearing?

"You must be Master Fiyero."

How did she know that?

"What do you want?"

Kinda rude. "I'm here to pick up Galinda and take her to the party."

Her lips curled into a slight smirk. "I was wondering when I was going to have the _privilege_ of meeting my lovely roommate's equally lovely boyfriend. And yes, I am green. How wonderful of you to notice."

"The… rumors don't do you justice."

Why did he say that?

If that was supposed to be a compliment, Elphaba didn't seem to even care. She just wanted to slam the door in his face. Bonus if his foot was in the doorway. "You really are as eloquent as the rumors say," she sighed with an eye roll. "And to answer the follow-up questions I'm sure you have concerning the rumors; no, I'm not seasick. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't eat grass as a child."

"Miss Elphaba!"

Fiyero looked past the green girl to see the sight he was expecting. Galinda was dressed in a short, frilly, pink dress, her hair falling in perfect curls off her shoulders. "Hi, Glin."

Galinda smiled sweetly at her boyfriend, pushing past her roommate to get to him. "Fifi, you look handsome."

"Thank you. You look beautiful," he smiled back, pulling her into a gentle kiss.

Elphaba looked like she was going to throw up. With a grunt and an eye roll, she closed the door.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with _that_, dearest," Galinda said, looping her arm with Fiyero's. "I swear, her sole purpose is to plague my life. But these things are sent to try us."

"I know you'll rise above it."

"I know I will." A slight giggle slipped past the blonde's lips and they soon reached The Ozdust Ballroom. It only took minutes after the power couple arrived for the party to kick into full swing. Everything was perfect. The perfect party hosted by the perfect couple.

* * *

_My dear Father,_

_I apologize for how long this letter took. I have been focusing primarily on my studies. I know that's not a very good excuse, but it's the truth. My classes are going very well. You'll be pleased to know I've been staying out of trouble and have been keeping my "ability" a secret and under control, as I promised. I know that's how you'd want me to respond._

_There's been some confusion over rooming, though. Madame Morrible saw fit to pair me with Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, for reasons beyond my knowledge. She's very… blonde. We don't interact much, which is probably for both of our benefits._

_I hope you are well. I'll write again soon._

_Your daughter,_

_Elphaba_

Elphaba dropped the pen and massaged her temple. This was progress, considering she had stared at a blank piece of paper for an hour. This wasn't the first draft of the letter, nor was it her best work, but it would do for her father. He wouldn't have wanted to read a long letter from her, anyways. He probably won't even read this one.

She went over to her desk and wrote two more paragraphs for her history essay on The Last Ozma. She was writing her conclusion paragraph when the door opened and Galinda came back in.

"You're still awake," was Galinda's greeting.

"Yes," was Elphaba's response.

"I thought you'd be in bed by now."

"Well, you thought wrong. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Galinda huffed, grabbed her nightclothes, and went into the bathroom. When she came out, Elphaba had also changed into her nightgown and was reading on her bed.

"Do you do anything else other than read?" Galinda asked.

"Yes, I also blink, breath, talk, and think. That's what humans do. The alive ones, anyway. And if you ask me nicely, maybe I'll even sing for you."

"Goodness Oz, please don't," the blonde begged. She didn't even want to think about how horrid the frog's singing voice probably sounded. "Listening to you talk is bad enough."

"And yet, you always find a reason to talk to me."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Oh, and I'm having friends over tomorrow, so you can't be in the room from four to seven."

"Why? Are you throwing a surprise party for me? It's not my birthday."

"No! Of course not! Why would we ever waste our time on that?"

"Right. You have better things to waste your time on. Though, I can't imagine any other reason why you would kick me out of the room. Four to seven is quite a time gap."

"It's none of your business what I do with my friends."

"You do remember that roommate policy states that we must have a conversation and I have to agree to let you have the room to yourself, right? You can't just kick me out of a room that's half mine."

"Fine. What do I have to do to get you to agree to not be here?"

"If you give me a decent reason as to why my presence in my own room would be absolutely detrimental to your little get-together with your friends, I might consider it."

"I don't want my friends to be subjected to your hideoushousness."

That wasn't a good enough reason. "And I don't want to be subjected to your airhead friends' stupidity and ignorant gossip."

"How dare you insult my friends!"

"I dare because it's true. I'm surprised they managed to make here, considering they fill their minds with useless opinions and baseless rumors. It seems like money really can buy what is lacked in brains. I can see why you're friends with them. Great minds, or lack thereof, think alike."

"Did you just insult me?"

Elphaba hid a smirk behind her book. "I don't know. Did I?"

The blonde crossed her arms, not backing down. "If you're in this room tomorrow between four and seven, I'll go and –"

"You'll what? Throw a fit to Morrible and beg not to room with the green monster anymore? It didn't work the first time you tried that, Miss Galinda, and I doubt it will work now."

"Just don't be here, got it?"

"I understand."

Galinda smirked. "Good."

"But that doesn't mean I'll do what you want."

Galinda let out a loud groan. "You are positively infuriating!"

"Positively infuriating? That's one I haven't heard before. Well done, Miss Galinda. Very original. Though, I don't believe 'positively' was the best word choice, seeing as you're insulting me, and insults can't be positive. May I suggest 'completely', or 'absolutely', or even something as simple as 'really'?"

"I loathe you!" With a grunt, Galinda threw her fluffy pillow at her roommate. Elphaba didn't even flinch as the pillow hit her face and landed on the floor.

"Was that meant to… hurt me? I think you underestimated the hardness of your pillow," Elphaba blinked, picking up the pillow. "And your strength."

Galinda sprinted over and grabbed the pillow from her roommate's hands with a glare.

"_You_ threw the pillow at _me_, Miss Galinda," she said, responding to the unspoken quip. "You can't be mad at me for picking it up from the floor. I've already told you the green isn't contagious and won't rub off on you or your things."

"Whatever, green bean. And if you're in this room tomorrow between four and seven, it won't be pleasant."

"It won't be pleasant for who? I would be perfectly fine in _our_ room. You're the one who has a problem with it."

With a huff, Galinda went to turn the lights off, but tripped over one of Elphaba's boots. Gritting her teeth, she picked it up with a pinch, holding it far away from herself like it was covered in some disgusting, unknown substance, and unceremoniously dropped it in Elphaba's lap.

"This was on my side," she huffed and turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. "Keep your stupid things off my side, green bean."

Elphaba bit her lip and she placed the boot on the floor, and her book and glasses on her nightstand. She didn't know how she was going to survive her blonde roommate. She supposed she would just have to do what she always did; not care. Things she didn't care about couldn't hurt her.


	3. Losing Control

"I heard she has an extra eye that always remains awake!"

The room filled with the giggles of the girls sitting together on Galinda's fluffy pink rug, mixing with the radio playing an upbeat song.

"Well, I heard she can shed her skin as easily as a snake!"

"If that were true, ShenShen, she wouldn't be green," Galinda said to the girl doing her nails.

"You're right," Milla pointed out as she braided Pfannee's hair.

"I heard her mother tried to drown her when she was a child," Pfannee chirped.

"Why wasn't she successful?" ShenShen asked.

"I've heard the green freak has magic."

"Magic?" Galinda gasped. She had never seen her roommate perform magic.

Pfannee nodded. "When her mother tried to drown her, she put a spell on her. She lost control of her movements and took her back to their house."

"What else do you know about her family?"

"She hasn't received any care packages."

"She's the Governor of Munchkinland's daughter, so she comes from a level of power," Milla added.

"She doesn't behave like it. She's much too uncouth for a Governor's daughter."

"You would think her father would have had someone send her a care package. Almost everyone in the whole year has gotten one by now," Galinda said with a condescending laugh.

"Maybe he doesn't have time to care about her. Or even tell someone else to pretend to care about her."

"He can't be _that_ busy."

"I wouldn't blame him," Pfannee sniffed. "If my child had green skin, I would have –"

"I heard she has a younger sister," Milla interjected softly.

"What's wrong with _her_?" ShenShen asked, imagining every horrible affliction that could have befallen anyone related to the freak. "Does she have green skin, too? Is she an invalid? Is she armless?"

"No, not that I know of. But something happened to her years ago. I don't remember what, but it was in all the newspapers. There was some type of horrible accident."

"Imagine having two deformed daughters. How awful for him," Galinda sighed dramatically.

"Galinda, be honest with us. How horrible is rooming with the artichoke?" Pfannee asked, eyeing the blonde with interest.

"Even more horrible than you could ever imagine," Galinda said solemnly, and the girls sympathetically gasped in unison. "She's a horrible terror who lives to insult me and make my life miserable."

"I'm so sorry, Galinda," ShenShen pouted.

"And she's impossibly annoying," the blonde continued. "I don't know how I'm going to survive the rest of the semester with her."

"Where is she, anyway?" Milla asked. "Classes ended at three because of the faculty meeting."

"Who cares? I just told her that she'd better not be here. Just because I have to deal with her doesn't mean you all should," Galinda said with a dismissive wave.

"How good of you," Pfannee smiled.

"You are so good," ShenShen grinned.

"Oh, stop," Galinda giggled, clearly wanting them to keep going.

They did, giving each other compliments as they continued their makeovers. They mostly talked about Fiyero and how he and Galinda were perfect together, but a few more quips about the green girl slipped in.

"And if that's not weird enough, she also keeps this funny, little green bottle under her pillow," Galinda said.

"Whatever for?" ShenShen asked.

"I have no idea," Galinda said, stealthily making her way to the other side of the room and reaching under her roommate's pillow. She held up the bottle in question in triumph. The girls giggled as Galinda hurried back and they all exclaimed the bottle.

"It's made of Quadling glass," Milla observed.

"You think she's part Quadling?" ShenShen asked, her face scrunching in disgust.

"Possibly. A tall, deformed Quadling."

The girls laughed.

"It's the same shade as her skin," Pfannee said. "Perhaps whatever was in this bottle is the reason why she's green."

"I have an idea," ShenShen smirked.

"Do tell," Galinda smiled.

"We can see if some of the rumors about the spinach stem are true."

As if on cue, the door unlocked and opened, and the last person they wanted to see walked in.

"You know, it's funny how you all seem to love talking about me, but loathe talking _to_ me," Elphaba said with a slight smirk.

"Were you eavesdropping, artichoke?" Pfannee sneered.

"No, though you weren't exactly doing a very good job of being quiet."

"What are you doing here?" Galinda hissed, rising to her feet. "I thought I told you not to come –"

"Relax your blissful, blonde brain," Elphaba sighed, holding up her hand. "I just came back for a book I forgot. Then I will be out of your hair until seven." She grabbed the book from her bookshelf and headed back out, but a voice stopped her once she reached the doorway.

"Since you're here, Miss Elphaba, we have a question for you," ShenShen said as she rose and turned off the radio. Milla and Pfannee also stood.

Elphaba turned. She thought they didn't want her around them. What could they possibly want from her? "Yes?"

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Keep this funny-looking green bottle under your pillow?"

Elphaba's eyes widened as ShenShen held up the bottle in question. So _that_ was why Galinda wanted her out of the room. The airheads wanted to go through her belongings. "H-How… how did you…"

"You've kept it hidden under your pillow, so it's clearly significant and important to you. Why is it so important to you?" Milla asked, taking the bottle and holding it up to the light. "What's its purpose under your pillow?"

"Give it back!" Elphaba breathed, dropping her book and lunging for the bottle. "No! Stop!" she shouted when Milla tossed it to Galinda.

The green girl chased the bottle as it was carelessly tossed around the room. If something happened to that bottle, it would mean death to the blonde and her friends.

"Come on! Tell us!" Galinda giggled, waving the bottle in the air like this was a fun game.

"Give it back, you daft bimbo!" Elphaba cried, the bottle whizzing past her and landing in ShenShen's waiting hands.

"Hmm, Quadling glass," ShenShen pretended to muse. "Very fragile. I wonder what would happen if I just…"

"Don't!" Elphaba shrieked as ShenShen dropped the bottle, but caught it with her other hand. Her eyes began to well, but she refused to let the tears fall.

"Then tell us," Milla challenged.

"It's none of your business! You have no right to do this! That bottle is my private property!"

"If you don't tell us, it'll be the garbage's private property," Pfannee said.

Elphaba felt a familiar feeling coursing through her veins. No. She couldn't lose control. Not here, not now. It would just give them more leverage over her. And she promised her father. She promised her sister. She promised them she would control it. She promised things would be different here. She had to keep it concealed.

"Well, green freak, if you're not gonna tell us, then I guess you won't be getting this back," Galinda said.

"It was my mother's!" Elphaba exclaimed before she could stop herself, tears glistening in her eyes. "That's all."

"Is it true your mother tried to drown you because she was embarrassed, but you hexed her so she wouldn't?" Milla asked.

"No. Now, give me my bottle back!"

"You never answered our question," Galinda said. "Why do you keep it under your pillow?"

"To keep shallow idiots like you from finding it."

"Why would your mother give you a useless bottle? What was in here? A degreenifying potion that _clearly_ didn't work?"

"Of course the weird monster would find a glass bottle comforting enough to sleep with," Pfannee laughed.

"Enough!" Elphaba shouted, and the entire room stilled. "Now, this is the final time I'm going to ask politely. Give me the bottle."

"Say please," Galinda challenged, her nose in the air.

"Please," she added through gritted teeth.

"Hmm… no."

At that, all bets were off. Elphaba no longer cared about controlling her magic. A blinding light filled the room before it was plunged into complete darkness. The girls' screams covered the sound of the doors and windows being locked. The room was thrown into complete disarray and the girls ducked to avoid the flying projectiles they couldn't see.

"It's true," Galinda gasped. "She _does_ have magic."

"She's a witch!" Pfannee yelped. "A wicked witch!"

They crawled in the direction of the door, but found it locked.

"Let us out, artichoke!" Milla shrieked as something flew right past her face.

After several long seconds, the chaos ceased and the lights returned to normal. When they could see again, the girls saw that Galinda's side of the room had been trashed. Their makeover supplies were scattered all over the floor, Galinda's clothes had been strewn all over the place, a few of them ripped, and the pictures on her shelf had fallen, the glass breaking. Her comforter had been ripped and covered with the feathers from her pillows. But Elphaba's side of the room remained untouched.

Galinda looked down and realized she wasn't holding the bottle. If it had broken when she would be the last one to have it, Elphaba would have her head. A twinge of relief hit her when she saw the bottle safe in Elphaba's hands, clutched to her heart, but that twinge quickly left when she saw the purely murderous look on her roommate's face.

"Pfannee, ShenShen, Milla, get out," the green girl hissed softly.

The door unlocked and the three girls wasted no time running out. Galinda watched them leave before slowly rising to her feet. She couldn't blame them for leaving.

"I'm… I'm telling Morrible what you did to our room," she said, trying, and failing, to keep the fear from her voice.

"Do it. I don't care," Elphaba whispered.

"You don't seem to care about anything, other than your books and that stupid bottle." Galinda knew she was skating on thin ice after that whole fiasco, but she couldn't let the green bean think she'd won. "Though, I don't know what I expected, seeing as no one's ever cared for you."

"Shut up! Just shut up! You know nothing about me, and you clearly couldn't care less. So why don't you and your friends do yourselves a huge favor and leave me alone? I've done nothing to you."

Galinda gave her an incredulous look. "You've done noth- look at what you've done! Look at my room!"

"Yes, you should really pick up after yourself before inspections. You could get fined for having your side of the room in such a state."

The blonde closed the distance between them and glared up at the green girl. Elphaba quickly hid the bottle behind her back, lessening Galinda's chances of getting it again. "You are skating on _very_ thin ice, green bean."

Elphaba flinched slightly at the statement, but quickly recovered, but not before the blonde noticed. Instead of commenting, she mentally filed it away for later. The two glared at each other for a few clock-ticks, neither of them backing down. Galinda broke away first, going to salvage what she could of her things, but not before Elphaba grabbed her arm.

"If you ever mess with my belongings again, I will do far, _far_ worse," she threatened in a low hiss. She flung the blonde's arm, making her stumble and fall with a loud yelp, before going back to her own bed and sitting on the comforter, her back to the blonde, and the bottle still safely in her hands.

Galinda quickly stood with a huff and scowl, glaring at her roommate's back. She was going to pay for this. "This isn't over, freak," she threatened under her breath.


	4. Thin Ice

**Yes, we don't like Galinda and her friends right now. However, it will get worse before it gets better.**

* * *

Fiyero regretted going to history class this morning.

Something told him that it wouldn't be worth it. He had a feeling that it wasn't very important. And he really should have gone with his gut feeling because he was right.

Dr. Dillamond was usually in the room when the students filed in, already set up and ready to go. But this morning, he wasn't. Everyone was seated, and he still hadn't shown up. Five minutes into class, he still wasn't there. Fiyero was getting impatient as he sat next to his girlfriend, already counting down until the fifteen-minute mark, where, if the professor still wasn't there, the class was free to leave. The fifteen minutes passed, and since Dr. Dillamond still hadn't arrived, the class packed up to leave. But as soon as Fiyero shoved his notebook back into his bag, the door flew open and Madame Morrible entered.

"Good morning, students," she greeted a little too happily.

"Good morning, Madame Morrible," the class chorused, biting back groans.

"I apologize for the tardiness, but Dr. Dillamond won't be coming."

"He's gone?" a student in the back of the room questioned.

"When will he be back?" another student asked.

"Whoo! Class is canceled!" another student off to the side whooped.

"No, Master Avaric. Class is not canceled. Please take your seat," Morrible said, narrowing her eyes as the boy slowly sat back down.

"Madame, what happened to Dr. Dillamond?" Elphaba asked.

"Dr. Dillamond no longer works here. Animals are now forbidden to teach in Oz. He left earlier this morning."

Elphaba's mind flashed back to that day and seeing those bright red words on the chalkboard_. Animals should be seen and not heard._ She abruptly stood. "Madame, you can't permit this. This isn't right! This isn't fair! Dr. Dillamond can't just leave! He's one of the best professors here!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Elphaba, but there's nothing I can do," Morrible said gently.

"But, Madame –"

"Miss Elphaba, please take your seat."

"But –"

"Take your seat, Miss Elphaba. Now."

Elphaba reluctantly sat back down. No one said a word. Fiyero subtly looked around the room. Most students looked indifferent, not caring much about history or the old Goat. He looked at Galinda, whose face was unreadable. Then he looked at Elphaba. Her face was a mix of shocked, confused, and hurt. He had never seen her, or anyone, for that matter, look so crushed and dejected. He knew how much she looked up to Dr. Dillamond. They always talked after class and she was his best (and favorite) student.

"Instead of canceling class, I have found a replacement," Morrible added as the new professor came in. "This is your new history professor, Dr. Karles Nikidik."

"Good morning, class," Dr. Nikidik greeted them, staring a little too long at Elphaba.

The room was silent.

"Good morning," Morrible prompted with a warning glare.

"Good morning," the students responded. Elphaba looked down at her textbook.

With that, the head left and Dr. Nikidik began the lesson. "With each tick of the Time Dragon Clock, throughout all corners of our great Oz…"

For the next hour and a half, their new professor droned on. Fiyero wasn't even paying attention. He had reached a new level of boredom and founded doodling stick figures in his notebook more interesting. The professor didn't even bother to take attendance and didn't ask a single question the entire class, so Fiyero didn't see the point of trying to take notes. Dr. Nikidik didn't write notes on the board, so why should he in his notebook?

After the longest hour and a half of his life, the bell finally rang, dismissing the class. Everyone ran out of the room as fast as their legs would carry them. Even Elphaba hurriedly packed up her things and left. For the first time, Fiyero was the last one in the room. Even Dr. Nikidik had left. Sighing, he slung his bag over his shoulder and left to catch up with Galinda.

"That was the worst class I've ever had in my entire life," the blonde ranted as they walked. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I want the old Goat back."

"I do, too."

"At least Dr. Dillamond's harping had some color to it, even though he could never pronounce my name correctly. Dr. Nikidik just droned on and on in his monotone voice. Half the class fell asleep and he didn't even say anything. I doubt he even noticed. Morrible should have just canceled the class."

"Elphaba didn't even take notes," Fiyero said.

"That's when you know its bad. When the teacher's pet doesn't even pay attention. Did you hear her little speech in the beginning? She sounded so passionate about how unfair it was that Dr. Dillamond left."

"He didn't just up and leave, Glin. He was fired. But it seemed like Morrible knew it would happen, since the replacement came the morning he was fired."

"Either way, the green been sounded so pious. It was simply infuriating. After she destroyed our room, she had no right to sound so high and mighty. Especially if you consider her status in society."

"The daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland?"

"The green monster of Oz. And once people find out that she's a literal witch…"

Fiyero listened as his girlfriend listed the reasons why her outcast roommate was the worst thing since the invention of eight AM classes on a Monday morning. He began to see the repetitiveness of her arguments. He wanted to listen to his girlfriend's problems, but he was beginning to see how baseless and petty they were. Maybe if she tried a bit harder to get to know her, then maybe they could…

_Nahhhhhhhhhh_. That was never gonna happen. The two girls couldn't stand each other.

"Glin, why don't we go shopping after our economics class?" Fiyero asked, interrupting the blonde mid-sentence.

Galinda blinked, surprised by the interruption, but her confusion was quickly replaced by a wide grin. "I'd love to, Fifi."

Fiyero grinned back, glad he saved himself from more hours of ranting, even though he just gave himself hours of shopping.

* * *

_My Dearest Nessa,_

_I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to write. I've just been so busy with my classes that I… I know it's not a good excuse, and I'm sorry. But… I'm writing now, so that must count for something._

_Shiz University is wonderful. The campus is beautiful. You would love it. And the library! The library is so grand and extensive._

_There are so many classes I want to take, and I only have four years to take them. I've decided to major in history, with a concentration in archival studies. Though, my favorite professor, Dr. Dillamond, was recently fired for being an Animal. It's just not fair that they fired one of the best professors here. But I won't bore you with those details._

_But there has been some slight confusion over rooming. The Head Shiztress, Madame Morrible (also known as "Horrible Morrible" by most of the student body) has decided to pair me with a girl who is, well… blonde. We mostly keep to ourselves. She loathes me, and I must say, the feeling is mutual. I have a few classes with her, but we don't engage. It'll be just my luck if we're assigned to a project together and have to interact more. We're civil to each other. Or, well… as civil as loathing roommates can be. We haven't torn each other apart, so I believe we're getting along just fine._

_You'll be pleased to know that I have been controlling my temper and my magic. I promised you things would be different here, and I will keep that promise. I love you so much, my sweet rose. I miss you so much. I would do anything to have to here with me. I'm so sorry for everything I didn't do that I could have done. I could have done things differently. I didn't want us to part the way we did. But I love you. Please never forget that I love you. And I'm sorry._

_Your loving sister,_

_Fabala_

Elphaba put her pen down with a sigh. This letter was considerably longer than the one she wrote to her father. She didn't know why, but writing to her sister came more naturally to her. She considered writing about the incident with the bottle and her magic, but decided against it. It's not like her sister would read it, anyway.

"So you _do_ have a sister!"

The green girl jumped and whipped around, finding Galinda looking over her shoulder. Her hand moved to protectively cover the letter from her roommate's prying eyes. "What are you doing? Were you eavesdropping?"

Galinda crossed her arms. "For your information, I had called your name at least three times, but you were ignoring me. Or are you going deaf?"

Elphaba narrowed her eyes at her. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to ask to borrow a few sheets of paper for my cultural art essay."

"You don't have your own paper?"

"I ran out."

"I doubt you were using the paper for essays if you ran out, considering how feebly structured your –"

"Miss Elphaba, may I please borrow your paper or not?"

Elphaba went in her drawer and pulled out two sheets of paper before handing it to the blonde.

"The essay needs to be four pages, Miss Elphaba."

"Then write on the back."

"Professor Milland doesn't like it when we –"

"I already gave you what you requested. Now, leave me alone."

"Miss Elphaba, I need two more pages."

"Then ask one of your friends."

"It doesn't make sense for me to go all the way to their rooms just to ask for two sheets of paper when you are perfectly capable of –"

"Miss Galinda, please listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this nicely once… shut up and leave me alone."

Galinda's face turned red as she took the paper and marched back to her desk, without so much as a 'thank you' to the green girl. She sat down with a huff and put pen to paper. If anything, she could at least write the first two pages. "Miss Elphaba, is it true that your sister –"

"One more word and I'll turn you into a toad."

Having seen Elphaba's magic in action, Galinda wisely shut her mouth and continued to work on her essay, the sound of her pen scribbling across the paper being the only one filling the room.

* * *

October quickly turned into November, and with it came the colder temperatures. It was now commonplace for a light frost to cover the grass in the mornings, and be almost all melted by noon.

Galinda was all for the winter fashions. She loved to model her new scarves, and even though the Shiz winter uniform wasn't the most fashionable, she could still pull it off.

Currently, she was walking along the path by Suicide Canal with her friends, discussing whatever topics came to their minds. There weren't many people outside, since the weather getting colder meant more time in the warm buildings.

"Why do you think it's called 'Suicide Canal'?" Milla asked.

"Milla, why do you think?" Pfannee asked with a sideways glance.

Milla's eyes widened. "Oh, no! It couldn't be!"

"It's not called 'Lover's Canal', Milla," ShenShen said, adjusting her hat to cover her ears.

"Well, I think _that's_ a much better name. We should petition to rename it. Besides, it looks like a Lover's Canal. It's so beautiful. Especially with this light coating of ice on the top. Look at how it sparkles. Imagine how many romantic dates could be held here if –"

"Shh!" Pfannee hissed. "Look."

The three girls followed Pfannee's gaze and landed on the green girl walking right towards them, her nose buried in a book.

"She really should watch where she's going. It would be a pity if she tripped and fell. She could get hurt," ShenShen smirked.

The group continued walking, watching carefully as the gap between them and Elphaba closed. It was only at the last second when Pfannee roughly brushed past an unsuspecting Elphaba and knocked her down onto the ice.

"Oops, my bad," Pfannee gasped.

"Pfannee!" Milla shrieked, her voice mixing with the sound of the ice cracking and Elphaba's loud yelp as she fell through. "Are you trying to kill her? You know water will melt her!"

"What? The frog was looking a bit dry. A quick dip could be good for her."

"The water is freezing cold!"

"What? She'll be fine. Frogs are good swimmers."

"I don't think she can swim."

"What makes you think that?"

"The way her arms are flailing and how she coughing and sputtering," Galinda pointed out quietly.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" ShenShen asked. "The ice is very thin. If we step on it, we'd also fall in. And we don't have anything to use to pull her out."

"Girls, she's sinking!" Milla exclaimed, noticing how Elphaba's arm movements were getting slower and how she was becoming less visible. "She's drowning!"

"What's going on here?"

The girls turned and saw Fiyero hurrying over to them.

"We weren't watching where we were going and Pfannee accidentally bumped into Miss Elphaba and she fell into the canal. And I don't believe she knows how to swim," ShenShen said, her voice raising an octave in fake fear.

Fiyero quickly took off his jacket and dove into the hole in the ice, eliciting a scream from the girls. What had gotten into him? Was he really trying to save the green girl? Why would he do that? These questions and more flew into Galinda's brain all at once. All she could do was wait, her breath becoming air as she waited for her boyfriend to resurface.


	5. Charity

The first thing Elphaba became aware of was the panic coursing through her body as she hit the cold water.

It happened so quickly. One minute, she was about to turn the page of her novel, the next, she feels someone bump into her, sending her flying through the layer of ice covering the canal. She didn't even know who bumped into her. It could have been any of the students. They all hated her. But if she had to guess…

She knew she should have been watching where she was going. She knew she shouldn't have been walking so close to the water. But she felt that the student body should be used to her by now and stop trying to make her life even more miserable than it already was. She was wrong.

She considered calling for help, but who would help her? Certainly not the people who pushed her in. There was no one there who cared about her. And even if she wanted to shout, she couldn't. Water was slowly filling her lungs.

For a moment, she was transported back to that day. That day when she was ten years old, by the frozen pond behind the mansion, and how a carefree moment could easily turn into your worst nightmare.

She tried to keep fighting, but she could feel her body slowing down. She felt sleepy, but she knew if she went to sleep, she would never wake up. Her muscles began to ache, begging her to stop. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe she should just accept it. She should welcome it. She was sure everyone else would. The world would finally be rid of her and could pretend she never existed. Slowly, she surrendered and felt herself sinking to a watery grave.

Galinda bit her lip. Fiyero wasn't coming back up. Was he drowning, too? "We should get help," she said. "For Fiyero," she added when she was met with silence. She forced herself to look away from the ice, but found she was alone. She whipped around, but there was no sign of her friends anywhere. When did they leave? Why had they left her alone, waiting to see if her boyfriend was still alive?

She had no idea of the amount of time that had elapsed. It seemed like forever. She had no idea how deep the canal was, but felt that it was deeper than it looked. She bit her lip, silently praying that Fiyero would be alright. Her eyes floated down and something caught her attention.

Her roommate's glasses.

They had obviously flown off Elphaba's face when she fell, and Galinda gingerly picked them up. They were simple-framed, thin-rimmed glasses, something the blonde thought was very on-brand for the green girl. Pocketing the glasses, she continued to wait.

One minute passed.

Then two.

Galinda was on the verge of tears, thinking she had lost Fiyero, but then she saw something coming up from the water. She let out the breath she was holding when she realized it was Fiyero, spitting out water and coughing and he pulled Elphaba up with him.

"Thank Oz!" the blonde exclaimed as Fiyero lifted Elphaba onto the bank before climbing out. "Fiyero! Have you misplaced your mind?! What the actual – what were you thinking, just jumping in like that?"

The prince ignored his girlfriend as he pressed his ear to Elphaba's chest, trying to see if she was breathing. She wasn't. He didn't have a lot of time.

"Fiyero, in the name of all Oz –"

"Galinda, go get help!"

"Fiyero, what –"

"Go, Galinda!"

"But –"

"Shh! Now!" the prince hissed, gently tilting Elphaba's head back, lifting her chin, and pinching her nose shut before pressing his lips against hers.

Galinda turned away and covered her mouth. What was her boyfriend doing? When she turned around, Fiyero's hands were on Elphaba's chest, pumping in a steady rhythm as he silently mouthed something Galinda couldn't make out.

This cycle of chest compressions and two rescue breaths continued three times. Fiyero looked exhausted, but kept going. He was in the middle of the fourth set when Elphaba began to cough. Relief washed over Fiyero's face as he helped Elphaba onto her side as she expelled the water from her lungs. He rubbed her back until her coughs were less violent and stopped bringing up water.

"You… saved her," Galinda whispered.

At the voice, Elphaba slowly opened her eyes. She was faintly aware of someone's hand on her back and her gaze slowly met Fiyero's.

"What?" she hissed, though the harshness was a bit lost.

"Well, that's _one_ way to thank the guy who just plunged into freezing cold water to save your life," Fiyero blinked, whipping his hair from his face.

Elphaba weakly tried to push herself to her feet, but Fiyero pushed her back down.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Miss Elphaba."

She wanted to glare at him, but was interrupted by another coughing fit. She clutched her chest with her free hand. Oz, how her lungs burned.

"Here," Fiyero whispered, gently wrapping his dry jacket around her shoulders. He knew it wouldn't do much, but he had to keep her warm as possible somehow. He gently lifted her into his arms and rose to his feet.

Elphaba's protests were weak, and understandably so. "What –" she whispered, then coughed.

"Don't speak. It'll just make your lungs hurt more. I'm taking you to the infirmary," Fiyero said, not even looking back at Galinda as he hurried towards the building. He gently jostled her when her eyes started to close. "You have to try to stay awake, Miss Elphaba. I know you're tired, but you can't go to sleep. It's too dangerous."

Elphaba moaned, but did as Fiyero said, resting her head against his shoulder as he carried her.

* * *

It didn't take long for the rumor that Elphaba had jumped into Suicide Canal to spread. And Galinda knew which three girls were responsible for that. It wasn't true, but no one cared about the truth.

It was now two weeks since the incident. She hadn't seen her boyfriend since that day. If Galinda didn't know any better, she would have believed that he was avoiding her. She hadn't heard anything from her roommate, other than she had slipped into unconsciousness shortly after arriving at the infirmary. They wanted to transfer her to the hospital, but were afraid to move her. They were doing the best they could, but Elphaba was still unconscious.

The room was oddly quiet without the familiar sounds of the bantering girls. The quiet bothered Galinda. She felt it was too creepy. She wanted a private suite, and this was her chance to experience it, no matter how temporary. She had full confidence that Elphaba would soon return and they could carry on as normal.

But deep down, Galinda knew it could never be "normal" again.

She wondered if Elphaba's father had been notified. Surely, the letter would have reached him and he would have dropped everything to be by his daughter's side. She hadn't heard anything, nor had she seen him. Maybe he had arrived and never left the infirmary. That made sense. Maybe seeing his daughter's room wasn't at the top of his priority list at the moment, nor was meeting his daughter's roommate.

Galinda considered going to the infirmary on multiple occasions, but ultimately decided against it each time. She felt like she had no business there. She wasn't friends with Elphaba. She had no reason to visit her.

"Fiyero!"

The prince turned as the blonde hurried over to him. "Hi, Glin," he said, but the usual sparkle in his eyes was missing.

"Where have you been? I mean… I've missed you. I haven't really seen you since…"

"Yeah. I've been… busy."

"Yeah. I understand. What were you doing?"

"I've been in the infirmary with Elphaba."

"She's awake?"

"No."

"She's still unconscious? Then why –"

"Because I felt bad. Someone needs to sit with her, be with her."

"You pitied her? Why?"

"I don't pity her. I'm being a decent human being, something no one else here seems to do."

"What do you gain from this?"

"Knowing that no matter what happens, I did the right thing. Look, complaining that she's annoying because of her green skin is one thing, but drowning her…"

"I didn't push her in, Fiyero!"

"But you were there. And you didn't try to help. That's just as bad, if not worse."

"It was an accident! We didn't know the ice was _that_ thin!"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Can you prove that it wasn't?"

"This is Pfannee, ShenShen, Milla, and _you_ we're talking about. What other proof is needed?"

"But she –"

"And don't give me some speech on how she 'deserved' it. No one deserves that. Imagine what could have happened if I hadn't shown up. She could have drowned, Galinda. She could have _died_."

Fiyero's voice had remained calm and even the entire time. Galinda took a mental step back. What had gotten into her boyfriend? "What's gotten into you?"

"No, Galinda. What's gotten into _you_?" And with that, the prince walked away.

Another week went by. Galinda hadn't heard any new news about Elphaba. The gossip about the green girl's fate still floated around campus. She didn't see Fiyero as much, and when she did, it was always at a distance. He never approached her, and she didn't approach him.

Finally, Friday afternoon, when Galinda returned to her room from dinner, she was greeted with an unexpected sight. "You're back," she said when she gaze met Elphaba's.

Elphaba, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed and already dressed for bed, wordlessly turned back around.

"I didn't think… I mean, I wasn't sure if… what I mean to say is… I'm glad you're not dead."

Elphaba still didn't respond.

Galinda bit her lip. She didn't blame her roommate for not wanting to speak to her. In fact, she expected it. Maybe she should apologize to her. Would that at least get her roommate to look at her? "Miss Elphaba, I –"

But before she could get another word out, Elphaba abruptly stood, her legs wobbling a bit as she made her way to the bathroom and shut and locked the door behind her. Galinda sighed as she walked over to her desk to start on her economics homework. She didn't know how long she was working, but soon had to use the bathroom. Elphaba hadn't come out yet, and she held it as long as she could, but soon became unbearable and she couldn't hold it any longer.

"Miss Elphaba, are you almost finished? I need to go."

She waited, but didn't get a response.

"Miss Elphaba?"

Still nothing.

"Miss Elphaba, you do remember there are two people in this room, yes? I need to use the bathroom!"

Still silence.

"Arti- Miss Elphaba, please! I really need to go!"

Galinda forced herself to remain calm, but it was starting to become painful. Was Elphaba okay? Had she passed out?

The lock clicked and the door opened. Elphaba hurried out and went back to her bed. Galinda ran in and moaned in relief as the pressure and pain eased. When she came out, she quickly grabbed her nightclothes before going back inside to change. Once she came out, she began to unpack her bag, then realized that she didn't have her history textbook. She racked her mind for the memory of when she last had it, then realized she must have left it in the room after class. Taking a deep breath, she approached her roommate.

"Miss Elphaba, I accidentally left my history textbook in the classroom, and since the academic buildings are locked until Monday, may I please borrow yours?"

Elphaba didn't respond for a moment, and Galinda was about to ask again, but then she heard a soft, "I don't have it."

"You left yours in the classroom, too?"

"No. It was in my bag… which is now sitting at the bottom of Suicide Canal."

"Oh. I-I'm so… what other books were in your bag?"

Elphaba glanced at her. "Why?"

"Because I… want to pay for your replacements."

Her roommate blinked, then her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because I feel responsible for your loss. I… am responsible. It isn't much, but I still want to help."

"I don't need your charity."

"It's not charity. It's… making it right."

The green girl turned away and slowly slid under her sheets. "I don't need your charity," she whispered before falling asleep.


	6. Through Different Eyes

Galinda awoke in the middle of the night to a loud hacking sound. It took her a second to come out of her dream before she realized it was Elphaba. She quickly turned on the lights and jumped out of bed. Her roommate was on her side facing away from her, sounding like she was coughing her lungs out. She hurried over to her, but jumped back at the sight of the blood staining her light brown sheets. Should she get help? She quickly glanced at the clock. 1:42 AM. It was dark and below freezing outside. There was no way she could get her roommate to the infirmary, and she couldn't just leave her to get someone and bring them back. Elphaba made a noise that took Galinda to another level of worried and, without thinking, the blonde jumped onto her roommate's bed and gently pulled her into a hug.

At that moment, the thought of the green being contagious didn't even enter the blonde's mind. And even if it did, she would have considered it frivolous. She simply held her roommate as she coughed up more blood. Biting her lip, she knew what she had to do. Rubbing gentle circles on her roommate's back, she softly chanted a rhyme in an unknown language. Slowly, Elphaba stopped coughing and went back to sleep. The blonde gently helped her lay back down before whispering another chant in the same unknown language, the blood on the comforter disappearing. Exhausted, she turned off the lights and stumbled back to bed, wondering if she, or her roommate, would remember any of this in the morning.

Sure enough, when Galinda awoke a few hours later, Elphaba was already awake, staring her from her bed. Galinda met her gaze, neither of them greeting the other with a cordial 'Good morning'. Unable to take the staring any longer, Galinda opened her mouth, but Elphaba beat her to it.

"Why did you do that?"

Galinda knew what Elphaba was talking about, but wanted to just make sure. "What are you talking about?"

"In the middle of the night, you… helped me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well, I couldn't just let you go on hacking up your lungs all morning. I had to get some sleep."

Elphaba was silent, and Galinda realized how shallow and selfish that sounded. "What I mean is… you were coughing up blood. What else was I suppose to do? I'm pretty sure coughing up blood after recovering from almost drowning isn't a good sign."

Elphaba wordlessly studied her for a moment. "You were holding me, and you said something in a strange language, and that's when I started to feel better."

Galinda knew that Elphaba knew what had happened. She was simply waiting to hear her confirm it.

"I have a secret. I… I have magic, too."

Elphaba blinked.

"It's a recessive gene on my mother's side. It's been dormant for generations, but I guess I got lucky. I'm nowhere near as powerful as you. I can only do small, simple spells, mostly related to healing. The most complicated spell I've ever done was… stopping your bleeding."

"We're… more alike than we thought."

Galinda's lips twitched. "I suppose we are."

"How long have you known?"

"Since I was around four or five and healed a scrap on my knee."

"Who else knows?"

"No one outside my family knows… well, other than you."

"Your friends don't know." It wasn't a question.

"No, they'd think I'm a…"

"Freak. Like me."

"Elphaba, I –"

"Don't. You're not the first, and you won't be the last."

Galinda looked down before quickly getting out of bed, grabbing her clothes, and hurrying into the bathroom. When she came out, freshly showered and clothed with her hair wrapped in her towel, Elphaba was sitting at her desk.

"What other books were in your bag?" Galinda repeated her question from the previous night.

"I already told you I don't want your charity."

"And I already told you that it's not charity. I know it'll take much more than this to make up for my mistakes, but I want to try to start."

"What do you want?"

"I want to know what books –"

"No, I mean what's your ulterior motive? You clearly want something down the line and I want to know what it is."

"Fine. My ulterior motive, which won't be ulterior anymore, is for us to make it through the semester without tearing each other's heads off."

"But what do you _want_?"

"I'll tell you what I don't want. I don't want us stuck in this cycle of insulting each other and then ignoring it. I think we can move past that. I want us to be civil to one another. Maybe work out way up to be nice."

"You want us to be… friends?" Elphaba asked skeptically.

"I wouldn't go that far just yet."

"Or ever."

Galinda didn't know if that was meant to be a challenge, but didn't want to ask. "You have every right to divulge my secret."

"Why would I do that?"

"To get even with me."

"We wouldn't be even."

Galinda bit her lip. "No, I suppose not, but it would be a start."

"Who would even believe me if I did?"

"If I confirm it, then no one can deny it."

"I'm sure the other students would find a way to put a positive spin on your magic. 'Miss Galinda Upland uses her powers for good and not for evil, unlike her green monster of a roommate'."

"The students can be unpredictable."

"Not really."

"And you don't use your magic for evil."

"My magic is evil by nature."

Galinda rolled her eyes. If her roommate was going to be impossible, then she was done trying. She finished drying and styling her hair before going out to get breakfast.

"I won't tell anyone your secret, Miss Galinda. I promise," Elphaba said as Galinda opened the door.

The blonde smiled gratefully at her roommate. "Thank you, Miss Elphaba."

* * *

A few hours later, Galinda returned to the room with a soft smile on her face and a black, denim messenger bag over her shoulder. She found Elphaba sitting at her desk, wearing a simple dress and her hair in a low ponytail, trying to catch up on her schoolwork with her limited books.

"I have something for you," Galinda said, without preamble, holding out the bag to Elphaba.

Elphaba turned and her jaw dropped slightly. "Is that…"

"Take it and find out. Please. It's heavy."

Elphaba took the bag and set it on her desk, carefully undoing the straps and opening the flap. Her breath hitched as she pulled out a brand new history textbook. She glanced at the blonde, who motioned for her to keep looking through the bag. Elphaba did, pulling out new literature books, new economics and biology textbooks, two new folders, and three new notebooks.

"If I got something you don't need, let me know and I can take it back. Or if I didn't get something, I can go back to the bookstore and –"

"These are all brand new," Elphaba whispered, running her fingers over the tight textbook bindings. She had bought the used books with her own money, and they weren't in the best condition, but the pages were still connected to the binding.

"Yes."

"You… really didn't have to do this."

"… Yes, I did. It was the right thing to do. Was that everything you needed to be replaced?"

Elphaba gingerly organized her new materials on her desk. She ran her finger against her bag, smiling at the feeling. "Yes, it was. Thank you, Miss Galinda."

"You're welcome, Miss Elphaba." The room sat in a comfortable silence until Galinda asked, "Have you eaten today?"

"I… no. Why?"

"I could get you something, if you're… if you're not well enough to go outside."

Elphaba looked up. "I'm… not hungry right now."

"But you will be later."

"I'll be fine, Miss Galinda."

Galinda clasped her hands behind her back. "Alright."

The room was silent for the rest of the night.

The next morning, when Galinda awoke, Elphaba's bed was empty. So was the bathroom. Her roommate wasn't in the room. At the beginning of the semester, Galinda wouldn't have been concerned. In fact, she would have relished having the room to herself. But now, she didn't feel that way, at least, not at that particular moment.

Soon enough, the door opened and her heavily bundled up roommate entered the room, carrying a steaming cup and a brown paper bag.

"You're up early," Galinda said, pushing herself up.

"I decided to beat the Sunday morning rush at The Quilted Stone."

"Are you alright?"

"…Yes…"

"No, I mean… you know…"

"Miss Galinda, I don't think you're awake enough to –"

"Should you be doing all this after just being released from the infirmary?"

Elphaba set her cup and bag down before taking off her coat, hat, and scarf and looked at the blonde. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself. You don't need to do hover over me. I'm not fragile."

"Just because you're not fragile doesn't mean you won't break."

Elphaba had an unreadable expression on her face. "Miss Galinda, I do believe you need this coffee more than I do." She held out the cup to her roommate, who shook her head.

"I mean it, Miss Elphaba."

"And I meant it when I said that I was fine."

"I know you think you are, but –"

"Why are you acting like you know what's best for me? Just because you helped me in the middle of the night and bought me a new bag and new books –which I told you not to do– doesn't mean that you know me or gives you the right to act like you do. Is the only reason you're caring about me is to show your friends just how _good_ you can be? I've already told you that I'm not your charity project. I don't need yours or anyone else's help. I've taken care of myself my entire life, and I can continue to do so."

Galinda was planning her retort during her roommate's rant and was about to deliver it, but stopped. That last sentence Elphaba had said… "What do you mean – you've taken care of yourself your entire life?"

Realizing that she had said too much, Elphaba backed up and went back to her bed, turning her back to the blonde.

"You don't get to rant at me like then and then not answer my question!" she persisted, finally getting out of bed and marching over to the other side of the room and crossing her arms.

Elphaba continued to ignore her, finding her coffee and muffin very interesting. Galinda glared at her, but when it became obvious that she wasn't going to get a response, she stomped her foot like a petulant child and huffed all the way to the bathroom.

The two didn't speak for the rest of the day.

A storm had been brewing all afternoon, and finally hit as night fell. Galinda was in bed, flipping through her magazine, but a flash of lightning drew her attention to the window, where she noticed her roommate sitting.

"You aren't going to go to sleep?" she asked, wanting to turn off the lights.

"I don't sleep during thunderstorms," was Elphaba's reply.

"You're scared of storms?" The green girl didn't strike her as the type to be scared of storms.

"No, I just don't sleep during them."

"Why not?"

"You can turn the lights off if you're going to bed."

"Why don't you sleep during storms?"

"Why are you so curious?"

Galinda blinked. Why was she so curious? "Because… it would be good for us to… get to know each other… better."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow, but moved over to her bed and sat facing the blonde.

Galinda took that as a sign of acceptance. "I went to boarding school as a child," Galinda began. "When it stormed like this, my suitemates and I would stay up all night eating cookies and sharing secrets." She got out her special stash of chocolate chip cookies her parents sent her and jumped onto her roommate's bed. "Our cook, Jaynie, makes the best cookies in all of Oz. You'll love these."

Elphaba was shocked that her roommate was sitting on her bed, but didn't say anything about it. "Don't you have class tomorrow morning?"

"No. Not until one." She opened the box and took out a cookie before handing one to Elphaba, who gingerly accepted it.

"Now we have to tell each other something we've never told anyone. I'll go first." She took a bite of her cookie. "Fiyero and I… are going to be married!" In truth, it had been a while since she talked with her boyfriend, but she knew they would be back on track soon. They just needed some space to… think.

"He's asked you already?"

"Oh, he doesn't know yet."

Elphaba took a bite of the cookie, a soft smile slipping onto her face at its sweetness.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Now you have to tell me a secret."

"Like what?"

"Like… a secret, Miss Elphaba. Any secret."

The green girl glanced at her roommate's caring expression. The better part of her tried to convince her that it was just an act, a trick to get her to divulge a juicy secret that she could surely spread to her friends later. But once she looked into her eyes, her rigid, skeptical exterior melted and she caved.

"The night my mother gave birth to my sister, there was a storm. Munchkinland is used to storms, but this was unprecedented. Even though she went into labor two months early, my mother wasn't that afraid. But due to the storm, the midwife wasn't able to get to the mansion in time. My mother lost too much blood and she died with my sister, Nessarose, in her arms, having just named her. I heard the whole thing. I wasn't able to sleep, hearing her screams."

"Oh, Elphaba, I'm so sorry."

Elphaba took a breath. "That's not the secret. The secret is… it's my fault she died. That's when my father started to hate me. And it's my fault my sister is dead. That's what solidified his hatred."

* * *

**Today is my birthday, and reviews make wonderful presents!**

**Also, voting for the 2019 Greg Awards closes December 31, 2019 at noon EST. I'm hosting once again this year, so go to my profile to vote!**


	7. True Secrets

**Thank you all for the birthday wishes!**

* * *

Galinda stared at her roommate in shock. That simply wasn't possible. Elphaba couldn't have killed her mother and sister. She didn't strike her as the murderer type. "That's not fair, Miss Elphaba. I told you a true secret."

"It _is_ the truth," Elphaba argued softly.

"But… the storm wasn't your fault. You can't control the weather. And it couldn't have been your fault your mother went into labor early. Therefore, your secret isn't true."

"But it is. You see, when my mother was carrying Nessa, my father began to worry that the new baby would come out green. He was so worried that he made my mother chew milk flowers, day and night. She was supposed to stop taking it in her third trimester, but she kept on. The bright side was that my sister was born a perfectly normal color and fairly healthy for a premature baby. But my mother never would have taken the milk flowers and died if not for me."

"But… that was the milk flower's fault, not yours."

Elphaba shrugged half-heartedly.

"And… what about your sister? Her death couldn't possibly be your fault."

"It is. I was eleven, she was eight. It was two days after Lurlinemas. My father had gotten her a brand new pair of ice skates. She asked me to go down to the pond behind our garden with her to try them out. I didn't know how to ice skate, but I agreed; I could never deny her anything. Munchkin winter nights are always below freezing, so I knew the pond would be frozen solid, so I didn't check the ice. Everything started out fine. Nessa was happily showing me all the tricks she could do. I was sitting on the snowbank. It happened so fast. One minute, she was twirling around, and the next, there was a loud cracking sound and she disappeared beneath the ice."

_"Ahhh! Fabala!"_

"I was so shocked, I couldn't move. I just sat there. Then I heard her coughing and screaming for me."

_"Elphaba! Help me! Please!"_

Elphaba closed her eyes. "I ran over, but then I heard the ice softly cracking beneath my feet as I got closer to her. I knew if I took another step, I would fall through, too. I went back and grabbed a large tree branch, thinking that would help, while my sister's screams grew weaker. Then I told…" She trailed off as her words got caught in her throat.

"Elphaba, if you don't want to tell me any more, I under –"

"I told Nessa to grab the branch and I would pull her up, but the branch snapped and I saw her head disappear under the water. I threw the rest of the branch aside and reached in, trying to find her. I felt her hand and pulled her up, the ice cracking beneath me all the while. Once she was up, I quickly pulled her over to the snowbank and into my lap. She was dripping wet and freezing. She was barely breathing. I shouted for our father, but I don't think he heard me. I couldn't carry her back to the mansion, so I tried to use my magic to at least dry her off. I couldn't control it; I just knew that things happened when I was emotional. Instead of drying her off, I accidentally set a nearby tree ablaze. I pulled Nessa away and tried to put out the fire. I did, but I guess our father must have seen it, because he came running down and saw us."

Elphaba stopped again, tears streaming down her face. Galinda gently grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Elphaba stiffened and looked down at their joint hands before slowly meeting the blonde's gaze.

"He… he carried Nessa back to the house, alternating between whispering words of comfort to her and yelling curses at me. He screamed at the servants to get the carriage ready to rush her to the hospital. I was left there. He didn't return for three days. When he did, he was distraught. He dragged me into his office and screamed at me that Nessa had been unconscious the entire time and died from a heart attack early that morning."

_"Get out of my sight, you wretched curse! It's your fault she's dead! You killed her! You killed both of them!"_

"I should have been able to save her. It was my job to protect her, and I failed. I never even got a chance to say goodbye and… tell her how sorry I was."

"You weren't her mother, Elphaba."

"But I was the only mother figure she knew!"

"But you didn't fail Nessarose."

"It's my fault she's dead. She's gone and my father blames me, and he's not wrong."

Galinda hurriedly grabbed a tissue and handed it to her roommate. "I'm sorry. We… we don't have to keep going. Look, it's tomorrow! And the storm's over. We should get some sleep." She took the rest of the cookies and returned them to their place. "I'm so sorry, Miss Elphaba. I shouldn't have asked you about such a personal memory. It clearly distressed you, and I'm sorry."

"I've never told that story to anyone. But… I'm… glad I told you," Elphaba said softly. "And it's not your fault. You didn't know."

The girls looked at each other in silence. Elphaba cleared her throat and slipped under her covers.

"No one else knows, and no one else can _ever_ know, Miss Galinda."

"Of course. I understand. I promise I won't tell anyone," Galinda responded as she turned off the lights and got into bed. "If I may ask one more question?"

"Yes?"

"That day, you were writing a letter to your sister. What do you do with them?"

"I have a special box I keep all the letters in. It's… actually the box her ice skates were in. I know it sounds silly, but... the letters, they're… very personal. I don't know what my father will do if he finds them. The ones I write while I'm here… I'll just put them in the box when I get home."

In truth, Elphaba was a bit afraid that Galinda would use what she just said against her, but at that moment, she was too tired and emotionally drained to fully care. She didn't know what, but something made her trust the blonde. She just hoped her trust wasn't misplaced.

"Miss Galinda?"

"Yes?"

"Nessa… she… she would have liked you."

Galinda smiled. "I would have loved to meet her."

* * *

"Look who's back."

Galinda looked up at ShenShen's whisper and saw Elphaba quickly enter the room. "She came back to the room on Friday afternoon."

"How is she?" Milla asked, her tone unreadable.

"She's fine. She was coughing a lot the first night, but –"

"How rude of her to keep you up at night with her disgusting coughing! Imagine all the germs she's spreading! If she wasn't feeling better, she should have just stayed in the infirmary instead of bothering you. You could have had an extra night alone in your room," ShenShen frowned. "You'd better disinfect everything so you don't get sick."

"The following nights were fine," Galinda said, but was either not heard or ignored.

"And where did she get that new bag? It looks like something out of her bland tastes," Milla commented.

"I bought it for her."

"You did what?" Pfannee gasped.

"I bought her the new bag and replaced the books she lost."

"I don't understand why you would waste your time and money like that."

"It was the right thing to do."

"You are simply too good, Galinda," ShenShen said with a demure smile.

"Thanks."

Professor Whints entered the room with a cheerful, "Good afternoon, everyone", and began the classical literature lecture. Galinda would cast glances at her roommate, sitting a few desks away, but Elphaba never looked in her direction; only up at the board and down at her notebook. As soon as class was over, Elphaba stood and went to talk to the professor (probably about her missing work, Galinda figured). The blonde and her friends hurried out to grab a quick snack before their second class.

"I'm going to be honest. I didn't think she was going to make it," Pfannee said casually over their muffins and tea.

"Pfannee!" Milla gasped.

"What? We were all thinking it."

"But you said it."

"What? It's not like she would hear us. And even if she did, who cares? What's she gonna do?"

"I actually found out more about her family. Apparently, her sister had died when they were children from complications from drowning in the pond behind the Governor's Mansion."

"The artichoke had drowned her sister?" ShenShen gasped. "I had a feeling she was a murderer. Galinda, you simply must get her out of your room. You shouldn't be living with a murderer."

"She's not a murderer! Her sister's death isn't her fault!" Galinda frowned.

"How do you know?" Milla asked.

"She told me herself!"

"Of course she would tell you that," Pfannee scoffed. "She had to make you feel safe so she can –"

"What did she tell you?" ShenShen questioned, leaning forward in interest.

Before she could stop herself, Galinda told her friends everything Elphaba had told her the previous night. Then covered her mouth in horror as she realized what she had just done.

"Wow," Pfannee breathed once she finished. "What a story!"

"Girls, wait! I wasn't supposed to tell you. I promised Elphaba I wouldn't. That's her personal business and she trusted me with her secrets," Galinda said quickly, immediately regretting everything. "She was all emotional and told me everything in confidence."

"She got emotional? I didn't know frogs had feelings," Pfannee giggled, and ShenShen almost choked on her tea.

Galinda sucked in a breath, realizing that she was only making this worse. She had meant to defend her roommate, not give her friends extra ammunition against her. "Girls, please. I think it's time we started being civil to Miss Elphaba. After what we put her through, it's only right."

"You're right, Galinda," ShenShen said after a while. "I think it's time we let bygones be, well, that."

"You do?" Galinda asked, shocked.

"You do?" Milla and Pfannee echoed in unison, with Pfannee raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do," ShenShen said, sounding earnest.

"Oh. Well, good. Thank you, ShenShen," Galinda said, checking the time. "I have to go meet up Fiyero, but I'll see you all later." She stood and bid her friends farewell before hurrying out of the café.

A coy smirk developed on ShenShen's lips once Galinda left. "Perhaps we should apologize to the green bean for being so horrendible. And I know just what to do."

Later that evening, right before dinner, Elphaba was on her way to the dining hall from the library. She tightened her scarf around her neck, shivering against a sudden breeze.

"Miss Elphaba!"

Elphaba stopped and turned, but almost broke into a run when she saw who had called her. Weren't they done torturing her? Haven't they had enough, or did they still have more up their sleeves after nearly killing her? She did notice, however, that Galinda wasn't with them, and she silently wondered why.

"Miss Elphaba, there you are," Pfannee smiled, hiding something behind her back. "We've been looking all over for you."

"Not that you're hard to stop in a crowd, of course," ShenShen added sweetly.

"What do you want?" Elphaba hissed through clenched teeth.

"We just wanted to apologize for the way we've been treating you and what we did," Milla said with an apologetic look. "It was horrible and unforgivable."

"We hope you can forgive us," Pfannee added.

"You just said what you did was unforgivable," Elphaba pointed out.

"_Milla_ said that, but we do have something for you."

Elphaba took an involuntary step back.

"Relax, it's not going to bite you," Pfannee said, revealing a bouquet of flowers from behind her back. "I read in a magazine that it's an old Munchkin custom to present a bouquet of flowers as an apology, so that's what we decided to do, in honor of your nationality's history."

Elphaba had to fight to keep her expression neutral as she stared at the bouquet of milk flowers. They couldn't have known. Unless…

No. Galinda promised not to tell. There's no way the girls could know the true meaning of the milk flowers to her.

"Miss Elphaba, we went through a lot of trouble to find these special flowers for you," Pfannee said when Elphaba didn't take the bouquet.

"We thought they would remind you of your mother. And help with your skin condition," ShenShen said.

"After all, if these milk flowers stopped your sister from being born green, maybe they'll degreenify you."

"And to further our forgiveness quest, we would like to invite you to our ice skating party next month before everyone leaves for Lurlinemas break," Milla added.

"Unless you have something against ice skating. You do skate, don't you, Miss Elphaba?"

"No," Elphaba hissed, her fists clenched. "I do not."

"Oh, that's perfectly understandable. Wasn't there an incident involving ice skating and your sister? Isn't that how she died? She fell through the thin ice and you weren't able to save her? But instead, you managed to light a tree ablaze with your uncontrollable, sinful magic?"

"It's a pity you never got a chance to speak to her again and can now only write her letters she'll never read," Pfannee smirked.

The green girl stiffened, her breath coming out in rigid, livid puffs of air. Galinda had told them. She was going to kill her for this.

"All of this is to say that we are deeply sorry and we hope you accept our apology and we can all move forward, Miss Elphaba," ShenShen said sweetly.

Scowling, Elphaba roughly smacked the flowers out of Pfannee's hand and ran to Crage Hall, suddenly not hungry anymore.

"How rude," Pfannee huffed, but smirked at Elphaba's reaction.

Elphaba practically flew up the stairs to her room. She furiously unlocked the door and pushed it open, almost knocking Galinda over.

"Oh, Miss Elphaba, you're back. You're not going to get dinner? I was just on my way there and I –" Galinda was cut off by her own shriek as Elphaba pushed her back into the room and slammed the door behind her.

"You are going to pay."

The blonde blinked. "What are you –"

"You told your stupid friends my secret after you promised not to. And now, you're going to pay."

* * *

**Two cliffy chapters in a row? I'm on a roll! I believe it's time to bring back #NiaHasNoChill**


	8. Used To Be Mine

The blonde's eyes widened. What had her friends done? "I… I don't –"

"How dare you tell them."

"Elphaba, please, I –"

"I told you that secret in confidence. You promised me you wouldn't tell them."

"Let me explain what I –"

"Shut up! Just shut up! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you! I should have trusted my instincts. It was all fake."

"It was an accident!"

"I'm sure it was!"

"It really was. They were talking about you, and I was trying to defend you and… what did they do to you?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know! You probably told them to do it!"

"I really don't know, Miss Elphaba. Me telling them… it was an accident. I swear."

"You lied. You've done nothing but lie this entire time."

"I was trying to defend you."

Elphaba laughed humorlessly. "You? Defend me? That's funny. But you know what's even funnier? How stupid I was to think that you would be different. I thought you would be the one to prove that people could change. But I was wrong. You're just as bad as the rest of them, if not worse."

"But I'm telling you, I didn't mean to. What do I have to do to get you to believe me?"

"Nothing."

Galinda blinked. "Nothing?"

"No. Because nothing will ever make me trust you again. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Galinda narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Then nothing will ever make me try to do something nice for you again."

"I never asked you to do it in the beginning!"

"And I tried to do it out of the goodness of my heart!"

"I didn't know you had room in your heart for goodness, since all you care about is your reputation and popularity."

"At least I have a heart that cares about _something_. I thought you could be reasonable and understanding. But maybe I was wrong. You're nothing but a monstrous green outcast. And since you're telling me that I'm full of lies, what about you? How do I know you didn't lie about your secret? For all I know, you could have been directly responsible for your mother and sister's deaths. How do I know you weren't lying to gain sympathy from me? How do I know you didn't murder them yourself? Your father could have a very valid reason to hate you."

All the blood drained from Elphaba's face. She stumbled back, looking and feeling like she had been punched in the gut. "You… you have no right to say that. I've clearly misjudged you," she whispered.

"And I've clearly misjudged you. I get that the death of your mother and sister have turned your heart to stone, Miss Elphaba, but that's no reason to –"

Galinda's words died in her throat as a verdant hand sharply collided with her face. She stumbled back, her hand clutching her stinging cheek, and her eyes never leaving the green girl. She blinked back tears. "Do you feel better now?"

"I don't think you realize just how much I can mess your life up."

The fact that the room wasn't thrown into chaos told the blonde that Elphaba was in complete control of her emotions and magic. But that scared her even more than Elphaba being out of control.

"You mean even more than you already have? You know, maybe I'll rip a page from your book and I just won't care. So, you can do whatever you want, and I simply won't care. That just might take the satisfaction out of whatever revenge you plan," Galinda hissed.

With that, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave the room, but stopped. Turning on her heels, she marched back to her roommate and gave her cheek an equally hard slap.

"Now_ I_ feel better," she sniffed as she left, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Elphaba knew the students were whispering about her. She knew because it was obvious; they weren't trying to hide it. They would hide their mouths behind their hands, but whispered loud enough for her to hear when she was close enough. They would momentarily stop if she gave them a hard glare or threatened to turn them into a toad with her "sinful magic", and they would briefly stop, but she knew as soon as she was out of earshot, they would start again.

Currently, she sat at the corner table of The Quilted Stone. She stirred her coffee as she jotted down notes from her economy textbook. The café wasn't super busy, but the patrons who were there didn't bother being inconspicuous about their staring and whispering.

"Miss Elphaba?"

Elphaba frowned and looked up at the voice. "Master Fiyero."

"May I join you?"

"You don't mind being seen with the monstrous freak who killed her mother and sister? You're not scared of what I'll do to you if you anger me?" She paused briefly before adding, "You aren't worried about what people will think of the Vinkun crown prince sitting with the green freak?"

"I'll take my chances," Fiyero said as he sat down. He'd never really had the chance to talk to her, so in his mind, she didn't, _shouldn't_, have a valid reason to dislike him. Unless you counted the first conversation they had, when he said some brainless things, but he didn't count that.

"I was just leaving."

"You had no intention of leaving before I sat down."

"You don't know that."

"I haven't seen you in a while. I just wanted to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine." She stood up and began packing. "And I must be going now."

"And you still owe me a proper thank you."

"What?"

"For saving your life."

Elphaba froze. "Are you going to keep bringing that up?"

"Until you thank me, yes."

"I never asked you to do that."

"I know you didn't."

"Then why did you?"

"Why did I save you? What kind of question is that? I saved you because it was the right thing to do."

Elphaba huffed, remembering how Galinda had said the exact same thing to her when she replaced her bag and books. People really needed to be more original. "How good of you," she spat. "And I suppose it made you feel good to pity me."

"No. In fact, I was extremely worried about you."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking me that? Why wouldn't I be worried about you?"

"Because no one else was."

"And you think I'll just follow wherever the crowd goes? You think I'm really stupid, don't you?"

"No… not _really_ stupid."

"You know, you never asked me how I was feeling. Jumping into a pond of freezing water doesn't exactly do wonders for the immune system."

Elphaba glared at him.

"Well? Aren't you going to ask me how I'm doing?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't care." In all honesty, Elphaba didn't mean for it to sound as harsh as it did, but it was Fiyero's own fault for bothering her. She never asked him to care about her, and she was fine without his concern. "Goodbye, Master Fiyero." She picked up the last of her belongings and hurriedly left the café.

Fiyero thought about following her, but instead, slumped in his chair. He hadn't planned on her being rude like that, and that made him want to leave her alone, but it also made him think. He thought about what she said, and what she meant, and if what she meant what she said. He didn't want to believe the rumors that she was heartless, but did she really not care about how he was doing? He was fine, having swum in the cold Vinkun waters for years and built up a thick skin, but it was the principle of the matter.

Things went back to the way they were at the beginning of the semester. Galinda and Elphaba went back to loathing each other and exchanging witty insults (well, Elphaba's were wittier than Galinda's, which were mostly repetitive and unoriginal). Galinda and Fiyero slowly began going on dates again, but it wasn't the same. And deep down, they both knew why. As finals approached, Galinda and Elphaba gave the insults a rest, being too preoccupied with their own issues to be worried about each other. Elphaba spent most of her time in the library, which left Galinda alone in the room for most of the day. Galinda was beginning to feel the way she did when Elphaba was in the infirmary, but then Elphaba would return that that feeling would go away.

Galinda walked down the halls of the music building, exhausted from her music theory final. If she had known modulation chord progression was going to be a major part of the exam, she would have studied it harder. Music was never her strongest suit, but she enjoyed it. She was certain she at least passed the exam, but knew she didn't get higher than a B-plus.

She was almost at the end of the hall when a soft melody reached her ears. She stopped, becoming drawn to it and walked back to the practice rooms. She sneakily peeked through the small window on the door and gasped softly.

It was Elphaba.

The green girl sat at the piano, her eyes scanning the piano keys as her fingers danced across them. Then her soft voice floated above the melody.

_"She's imperfect, but she tries._

_She is good, but she lies._

_She is hard on herself._

_She is broken and won't ask for help._

_She is messy, but she's kind._

_She is lonely most of the time._

_She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie._

_She is gone, but she used to be mine."_

Galinda was astounded. Elphaba could really sing. Her voice sounded beautiful. She had never pictured the green girl as the musical type.

_"__It's not what I asked for._

_Sometimes life just slips in through a back door._

_And carves out a person and makes you believe it's all true and now I've got you._

_You're not what I asked for._

_If I'm honest, I know I would give it all back._

_For a chance to start over and rewrite an ending or two._

_For the girl that I knew who'll be reckless, just enough._

_Who'll get hurt, but who learns how to toughen up._

_When she's bruised and gets used by a man who can't love._

_And then she'll get stuck and be scared of the life that's inside her._

_Getting stronger each day 'til it finally reminds her to fight just a little, to bring back the fire in her eyes__, t__hat's been gone, but used to be mine. __Used to be mine__."_

Galinda pressed her back against the wall and slowly slid down as Elphaba sang the final part of the song, her voice soft over the chords.

_"She is messy, but she's kind._

_She is lonely most of the time._

_She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie._

_She is gone, but she used to be mine."_

The blonde quickly stood and ran back to her room, telling herself that the tears in her eyes were because of the emotional lyrics of the song, and not because she was thinking about what they probably meant to the green girl.

Finally, finals were over. Galinda was more than happy to finally go back home to her family. She wouldn't wait to tell her mother about Fiyero and her friends. She couldn't wait to tell her father about her classes. And she couldn't wait to taste Jaynie's cookie dough cupcakes. And best of all, she couldn't wait to forget about her roommate. And she was sure Elphaba felt the same way.

When she returned to the room, she found that while she was almost finished packing, Elphaba hadn't even started yet. The green girl was, instead, sitting on her bed, writing something in her notebook.

_Probably another letter to her sister,_ the blonde thought. "You're not packed?" she asked softly.

"No."

"You're going to leave all your things here over Lurlinemas break?"

"I will not be going home for the break."

"Why not?"

"That doesn't concern you. So I suggest you take anything you don't want me to touch and infect with my skin condition."

Galinda knew she had heard the conversation she had with Pfannee, ShenShen, and Milla, but didn't say anything. "Very well," she said. She would be leaving the following morning, and now, she was more than eager to get away from her roommate until the new semester.

* * *

**Song Used: ****_'She Used To Be Mine' _****from "Waitress" by Sara Bareilles**


	9. Alone Together

The campus was seemingly deserted.

Elphaba hugged her arms tighter against her waist as she trudged across campus. There wasn't much to do, since everyone had gone home and all the buildings, including the library, were closed. She had been in her room for two days and really needed some fresh air. She had to admit, she felt a bit safer now that she was alone on campus. She knew she couldn't be the only one staying, but she hadn't run into anyone else yet, and hoped it stayed that way.

"Hey! Miss Elphaba!"

Just her luck. Who else was here? She turned and her shoulders tensed when she saw who had called her.

"I thought it was you, but wasn't totally sure. I see that I was correct."

"Why are you here, Master Fiyero?"

"The same reason as you, I suspect. I was tired of being in my room and thought I'd take advantage of the quiet serenity of the campus."

"But why are you still on campus?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"I asked you first."

The prince smiled. "Very well. My parents are traveling to Fliann for a mandatory border conference, so they won't even be home for Lurlinemas. They don't celebrate Lurlinemas in Fliann, and I hate the long carriage rides, so I thought it would be better to just stay on campus. I didn't realize everything would be closed. Now it's your turn."

"My turn to what?"

"Tell me why you're still here. It's only fair, since I told you my reason."

"I simply didn't want to go home."

"Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"No."

"I knew you liked it here, but never pictured you as the type to stay on campus when classes are out. Even Horrible Morrible's gone."

"I already told you my reason, Master Fiyero," Elphaba said as she started to walk away, but stopped when she felt Fiyero following her. "Yes?"

"I thought that, since we're the only two people on campus, we could spend the holiday together."

"I prefer to be alone."

"Than we can be alone together."

"No, we can't."

"Is this because you don't care about me?"

"Yes."

"Why do you not care about me?"

"Why do you care that I don't care?"

"Because maybe I'm hurt that the girl I saved from drowning doesn't care about my existence."

"Why do you care… about me?"

Fiyero blinked.

"What would your girlfriend say if she knew you cared about her asparagus roommate?"

"You say that as if she doesn't know. And you're not an asparagus."

"Does she know?"

"… No, but that's beside the point."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this. I have to go back to my room now."

"You don't need to do that, you know."

The prince was really getting on her nerves. "Do what?"

"Pretend that you don't care."

"There is no pretense here. I really don't care, you are getting on my nerves, and I want to be alone."

"No, you don't. You just think that no one else wants to be with you, so you try to convince yourself that you're better off alone."

"Goodbye, Master Fiyero," Elphaba said as she continued on her way.

"Wait, Miss Elphaba!" Fiyero called after her, but his voice only caused her to quicken her steps.

* * *

It didn't take long for the campus to be covered in a thin sheet of pristine, white snow. Elphaba was in her room, curled up under her covers, writing to her sister, when a knock interrupted her mid-sentence. She groaned, already knowing who it was. The person knocked again.

"Miss Elphaba, I know you're in there."

Gritting her teeth, she slowly got up and answered the door. "What do you want?"

"Not one for formalities, I see."

"Why, hello, Master Fiyero. What a completely unexpected and unwelcome surprise visit," she deadpanned.

"It's wonderful to see you, too, Miss Elphaba."

"What do you want?"

"I would like to know if you would like to join me for dinner."

"No, thank you."

"I'm sorry, that was poor phrasing on my part. I would like for you to join me for dinner."

"No, thank you."

"Miss Elphaba, you may not be lonely, but I am. And with the campus food areas closed, you won't be able to get something to eat until tomorrow morning. If we go to the diner off-campus, we can both grab more food for later."

Elphaba's stomach growled before she could retort, and the prince smirked.

"Well?"

"Fine. I will have dinner with you, but only to get you off my back."

The smirk turned into a genuine smile. "I'll take it."

And that's how Elphaba found herself bundled up and walking off-campus with Fiyero. She really didn't know why she had agreed to this in the first place. Surely there was some rule about going out with your roommate's boyfriend –no matter how much you hate each other– while she is away.

"I assume you know a place," she said, watching her breath form a misty cloud in front of her mouth.

"I do. It's called Dyanna's Diner. Galinda and I go there a lot. The food is excellent."

"You're taking me to a place where you go on dates with your girlfriend?"

"You know, you're right. We can both try a new place."

They walked around town for another place. They settled on a place called 'The Palace'. It wasn't anything like one would expect from the name. It was a small spot between a dress boutique and a stationary shop. There were only a few tables and chairs since the place was mainly take-out.

"Order whatever you want, including if you'll want something for later," Fiyero said as they sat down with a menu.

Elphaba knew what he was saying. "I can pay for myself."

"Miss Elphaba, I –"

"You don't have to buy my meals to prove that you care about me."

"Well, you didn't accept that fact when I saved your life."

"But you don't have to do that."

"So, you believe that I care about you."

"You have a girlfriend. You're dating my roommate!"

"I can date Galinda and care about you at the same time. I'm good at multi-tasking."

There was something about the way he said 'date Galinda' that was off, but Elphaba didn't mention it. Elphaba looked at the menu, figured out what she wanted and went to the counter, followed by Fiyero.

"I owe you an apology," she said as they sat back down at their table. "And a thank you. So, thank you for saving my life, and I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. Not many people are nice to me, so thank you for making an attempt."

_So she _can_ feel remorse_, Fiyero thought, but didn't dare voice. "I don't have to try to be nice to you, Miss Elphaba. Being nice is easy."

"The whole school could disagree with you on that."

"Whether they do or don't, I accept your apology and thanks."

Their food arrived, so the conversation dwindled a bit. But Fiyero was determined to not have it completely stop.

"Have you declared your major yet?"

"History, with a concentration in archival studies. You?"

"Political science, with a concentration in foreign affairs. There's no major called 'Kinging', with its main textbook being 'How To King', so that'll just have to do."

Elphaba chuckled slightly, but immediately sobered.

"I also have to take some finance classes, so I know how to not put the Vinkus in debt as soon as I take the throne. I'm also thinking about minoring in visual art."

"Visual art?"

Fiyero nodded. "I used to paint and do a bit of pottery when I was younger. It would be nice to take a few classes, just to get back into it."

"We're you… good?"

"I would assume so, since all my paintings made the fridge every time. Are you thinking of a minor?"

"Not really. I have a lot on my plate with the major history courses, as well as the concentration classes. The department wants all the classes to be taken in a specific order, and a lot of those classes fill up fast. I actually got the last seat in the 'Survey of Royal Orders' seminar, and it already has seven people on the waitlist. But I was looking at a few anthropology courses. That might be my minor, since it can supplement my major. I also might take a few writing classes so I could maybe write biographies on lesser-known historical figures."

Fiyero smiled at how animated Elphaba had become when talking about her classes. That was the most she had ever spoken to him (or anyone else, he figured).

"And Dr. Dillamond, before he was fired, recommended another course on the indigenous people of the – I'm sorry. I'm rambling," she apologized, blood rushing to her face as she looked down at her half-eaten plate.

"No, you're fine. I like listening to you talk about your classes. That's more than I can say about mine."

"You don't like your classes?"

"I'm majoring in political science because I have to know it. It's part of my future job. A big part, in fact. My father even convinced me that taking a statistics class every semester was beneficial. I even put it in my plan. You got to choose your own major and you're enjoying your classes because it's what you want to do. I might not even get to take a visual art class, much less minor in it, because I'll be so busy. But I know this will all be worth it. Just because I never wanted to be king doesn't mean the Vinkun people deserve a bad king. I want to be a good king for them."

"I know you'll be a great king, Master Fiyero."

"Thank you. And I know you'll be a great archival historian and biographer, Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba blushed again and Fiyero smiled. She looked cute when she blushed, and even cuter when she tried to hide it. He wasn't sure he was supposed to be having these feelings about his girlfriend's roommate, but at the moment, he pushed that thought away. This was the first genuinely fun evening he had in a while and he wasn't going to ruin it for himself.

"Can you do something for me?" he asked her.

Elphaba gave him a wary look. "Yes?"

"When you write my biography for the royal archives, can you make me sound strong and kingly and majestic and wise and just and –"

"I think you'll be all those things on your own. You won't need me to make you sound great to the future generations."

It was Fiyero's turn to blush.

* * *

Elphaba wasn't expecting Fiyero to come to her room the following afternoon, and didn't make any attempt to hide her surprise when she answered his knock.

"Come on. It's time for lunch," he said, giving Elphaba a boyish grin that made her heart flip.

She crossed her arms. "We never agreed to meet for lunch."

"We didn't, but I'm hungry."

"And you assumed I'd be hungry, too?"

"Am I incorrect?"

"… No."

"Then let's go."

Elphaba sighed, but bundled up and followed Fiyero out of Crage Hall. They went back to The Palace and sat at their table from the night before. Fiyero ordered the same thing as before, but Elphaba decided to try the fried rice with grilled vegetables and red sauce. They talked for a bit about their classes and somehow got to the topic of family, specifically Fiyero's.

"There was a lot of pressure put on me as an only child. When I was sixteen, my parents adopted my younger cousin, Neima, when her parents died in a fire. She's on my mother's side, but my mother was of noble, not royal, birth, so Neima's not eligible to inherit the throne. There was some talk of my father changing the laws so she could inherit the throne after me if I don't have kids, but that would have caused a whole familial civil war, and he didn't want that. And it wouldn't have changed the fact that I'm still the heir."

"How old is your cousin?"

"She's eighteen. She goes to Ville University in Fliaan, so my parents are visiting her while they're there."

"What's she like?"

"She's a music major. She can play the piano, flute, violin, harp, and she's a phenomenal singer. She's a lot like Galinda; perky, giggly, popular. But she's also a lot like you; strong, studious, and has a soft spot underneath her tough exterior."

"Her tough exterior?"

"Don't let her perky popularity fool you. If you mess with her, she won't wait a clock-tick to let you know that you just messed with the wrong girl. That's why I don't mess with her. I can't; she has dirt on me."

"What kind of dirt?"

"Dirty dirt."

Elphaba snickered. "Dirty dirt?"

"Well, there's no such thing as 'clean dirt'."

Elphaba laughed.

"What about your family?"

Her laugh died in her throat and she stiffened. "What about my family?"

"Tell me about them."

"It's just me and my father."

"You don't have any siblings?"

"… No."

"So everyone was lying when they said you had a sister? I think they said her name had something to do with a flower."

Elphaba got up and threw her trash in the bin without answering his question. She quickly put on her coat, hat and scarf before hurriedly exiting the restaurant. She was at the corner when she heard Fiyero calling after her, but she ignored him. She just wanted to get back to her room.

"Miss Elphaba, wait!" Fiyero shouted, finally reaching her and taking her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Elphaba wrenched her hand free and continued walking.

"If you ever want to talk to someone, I –"

"I don't want to talk to you," Elphaba huffed, whipping around. "I don't want to talk to anyone. I want to be left alone."

"Let me walk back with you. I promise not to say a word."

Elphaba turned and kept walking, which Fiyero took as a sign that he could walk with her, as long as he didn't say anything. They were halfway back to campus when a soft whisper reached Fiyero's ears.

"My sister's name was Nessarose."

* * *

**Yes, we finally get our Fiyeraba. Or at least… the start of it, anyway.**


	10. Train Talks

"What are your plans for Lurlinemas Eve?"

Elphaba looked up from the pot of boiling vegetables she was stirring at Fiyero, who was setting the table. She and Fiyero had been going out to eat so much, they both got sick of going out and eating the leftovers later. So instead, they went to the market, bought a bunch of fruits, vegetables, bread, and meats and took to making their own meals. They had also dropped their honorifics, which was something Elphaba was hesitant with at first, but eventually got used to it. Neither of them had a kitchen or supplies in their rooms, so they were forced to use the common kitchen in Crage Hall.

"I don't have any," she answered, turning back to the pot.

"Would you like some?"

She glanced at him. "What did you have in mind?"

"My parents sent me two tickets to see _'The Nutcracker'_ at The Royal Emerald Theater."

"What's that?"

"It's a ballet from The Wizard's world, and it's magnificent."

"The Royal Emerald Theater is in the Emerald City."

"Yes. Yes, it is."

Elphaba turned the stove off. "I've always wanted to see the Emerald City."

"So… is that a yes?"

"Why are you inviting me?"

"Because my parents sent me two non-refundable tickets, along with train tickets from the Shiz Station. I would hate for perfectly good box seats to go to waste. Plus, I want to go with you."

"Because I'm the only person you can ask on such short notice?"

"Elphaba, I want to go with you."

Elphaba looked at him. "You could have sent a message to Galinda and have her meet you in the Emerald City."

"I could have, but I want to go with you."

"We're not dating, Fiyero."

"I know. But we are friends, right? You're making me sound like a broken record, but I want –"

"To go with me," she finished for him. "Hotels in the city are expensive."

"My parents have a townhouse they stay in when they go to the Emerald City for meetings. Everything's already planned out for us. We just have to go."

"You planned for us to go together?"

He smiled. "I was hopeful."

She felt conflicted. She was beginning to like the prince, and that scared her, in more ways than one. She wasn't sure of the relationship they were allowed to have since he was dating someone, and that someone wasn't her.

"Elphaba? Will you please come with me?"

The prince was now standing next to her, his fingers intertwined with hers. "Yes, Fiyero," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I would like to go with you."

* * *

It didn't fully occur to Elphaba that she didn't have anything suitable to wear to the ballet until she was packing for the trip the day before they were supposed to leave. When she confessed that to Fiyero, he didn't seem bothered.

"The performance starts at seven. We'll have the whole day to shop around in the city," Fiyero said, watching as she went through her closet.

"Fiyero, stores might close early on Lurlinemas Eve."

"But they'll still be open, at least in the morning, for all the people doing last-minute holiday shopping, like us."

Elphaba soon realized that no matter what her argument was, Fiyero had a resolution for it. Eventually, she stopped trying to come up with arguments to save them both the trouble. She knew everything was planned out.

They would arrive in the city in the late evening the day before Lurlinemas Eve, spend the day in the city and seeing the ballet the following evening, spend Lurlinemas together, then return to Shiz the following day. She didn't know what else Fiyero had planned on their itinerary, but knew he planned something grand. And that scared her.

She didn't get much sleep that night. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that, the following afternoon, she would be on a train to the Emerald City with Fiyero. Finally, close to midnight, her eyes finally drifted closed, but her mind stayed wide-awake.

She met the prince by the gate at the entrance to the school at twelve-thirty, her suitcase seemingly gaining five pounds when she saw him. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps in the snow and grinned at her, adding an additional five pounds. She noticed the cab waiting for them, glad they weren't walking to the station in the cold with their suitcases.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey," she smiled back. "Are you ready?"

"Yup. Are you?"

"Yeah," she said as they put their suitcases in the cab trunk and climbed into the backseat.

They reached the station in record time, despite the snow. Their train wasn't until 1:15, so they had a few minutes to spare. They sat on a small bench and Elphaba fiddled with the lock on her suitcase until Fiyero stopped her by gently taking her hand in his. A jolt of energy rushed up her arm and it took all her strength not to pull her hand away. She didn't know what to think of the sudden contact; she just knew that it felt good.

"Is there anything particular you want to see in the city?" he asked.

"I've heard of the statute garden, but I'm not sure if it's open now that it's cold. But I'd love to see the Ozian Artifacts exhibit at the National Museum."

"I'm sure we can make that happen."

Elphaba smiled, then her attention was redirected to the sound of the train whistle in the distance. She stood from the bench before the train came into view, clutching her suitcase. Fiyero stood as the train pulled into the station.

"All aboard!" the conductor yelled as the train came to a full stop.

The two boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment. The prince lifted their suitcases into the overhead bin and sat across from the green girl, who was nervously playing with her skirt.

"Why are you nervous?" the prince asked as they pulled off.

"I'm not nervous."

"You're lying."

"What?"

"You just did that thing."

"What thing?"

"That thing where wrinkle your nose when you're lying. It's cute. And an easy way to tell when you're lying."

Elphaba scowled. "I'm not cute."

"I think you are."

"That makes one of us. And I don't wrinkle my nose when I'm lying."

"That may not be your thing, but your voice did a thing."

"My voice is fine!"

"I'm usually right about these things. I'm an excellent judge of character."

"Who told you that?"

"My mom, when I predicted who would win a singing contest when I was twelve. My parents had to congratulate the winner and host them at a special dinner, and they were talking about who they liked best and who they thought would win. They thought the classically trained opera singer would win, and I predicted that the up-and-coming songwriter-underdog would win, and I was right."

Elphaba chuckled softly at the story.

"But seriously, Elphaba, why are you nervous?"

Elphaba shrugged. "It's just… what if the Emerald City is like every other place in Oz? Where the people are small-minded and… stare and point?"

"Then they will be ignored as we have the best vacation ever," Fiyero said sincerely. "We're not going to let ignorant people spoil our holiday together."

"Maybe us going together wasn't a good idea."

"Elphaba, look at me."

The green girl obeyed.

"Don't start that. We are here together because I didn't want to be alone during Lurlinemas. And I didn't want you to be alone."

"And because the tickets were non-refundable?"

"That too, but mostly what I said. I don't want you to be alone. No one should be alone during a holiday about family and being together."

"I usually spend Lurlinemas alone at home, anyone."

Fiyero's eyes asked the questions his mouth didn't dare ask. Elphaba bit her lip as she prepared herself. She knew she couldn't make comments like that without telling Fiyero. She wanted to tell him, but would it end up like what happened with Galinda? Would he use her to stay on top of the latest gossip? Could she trust him?

"You can trust me, Elphaba," he said, as if reading her mind. "But only if you want to. Only if you're ready to."

"Lurlinemas has always been… iffy at home. My parents would host a big party, but after my mother died, that stopped. My father would still decorate the house, for my sister's sake. Nessa would get presents, but I wouldn't. She never noticed. I didn't expect her to, and I don't blame her for it. She was too busy being spoiled by our father to notice my fake-brave face. But when she died… the remainder of my father's holiday spirit died with her, and now, Lurlinemas is just another day."

"You don't exchange presents?"

Elphaba shook her head. "My father just sends out his obligatory Lurlinemas cards and that's it. No parties, no decorations, and no gifts."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. I'm used to it. I would mostly spend the day in my room, reading or writing to Nessa."

"You write letters to her?"

Elphaba nodded. "My father doesn't know. I used to write letters to my mother, and writing to Nessa helped me to cope with her death. It's also a way for me to get my feelings out."

"Do you write down everything?"

"Mostly. I try to keep the letters happy and upbeat for her. I'll leave the bad stuff out and write it somewhere else."

"What do you do with the letters?"

"I have a box where I keep them. They're all together. I started writing to her a week after her funeral."

"If I may ask… how did she die?"

"The rumors…"

"I don't want to believe the rumors. They're most likely untrue, anyway. I want to hear it from you, if you want to tell me."

Elphaba looked at him, searching his eyes, though she wasn't fully sure what she was searching for. And then she told him the whole story. Fiyero listened quietly, not interjecting. At one point, he reached to take Elphaba's hand, but she pulled away without missing a beat of the story. As she got to the end, she was nearly bawling, but still tried to press through.

"Oh, Elphaba," he said once she finished, quickly sitting next to the green girl, collecting her into his arms and pulling her close. "That's not your fault. You did everything you could to try and save her."

"But I couldn't."

"And that's not your fault. It's not your fault the ice cracked."

"I sh-sh-should have… checked it. I… sh-should have told her that… s-spot wasn't safe and to avoid it. I should h-have –"

"Thinking these things won't change the past, Elphaba," he said. It wasn't the gentlest thing he could have said, but he said it as gently as he could.

"I never got to tell her how sorry I was. I never got to say goodbye. He wouldn't let me see her in the hospital, Fiyero! He just came back and yelled at me! He almost wouldn't let me go to her funeral. He's hated me since the moment I was born and he blames me for the death of his perfect child. It shouldn't have been her. I should have been the one to –"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Elphaba!" Fiyero said fiercely, holding back his own tears. Now was not the time for him to cry. He was trying to comfort Elphaba. "Don't you dare."

He pulled her even closer, rubbing her back as he felt her shake against him. Eventually, he felt her breathing even out and looked down to find her fast asleep, her lips resting in a soft frown. Every so often, her breath would hitch, but would quickly return to normal.

"I will give you the best Lurlinemas ever, Elphaba. I can't make up for past ones, but this one will be perfect. I promise," he whispered, brushing her hair away from her face.

She wrinkled her nose and Fiyero smiled before placing a gentle, chaste kiss in her hair. He sat back, watching as the snow-covered trees whizzed past the window.

And that's how the two stayed for the rest of the train ride.


	11. A Simple Gift

Elphaba was expecting a grandiose townhouse befitting visiting royalty, and she was not disappointed when she and Fiyero arrived.

"What do you think?" Fiyero asked, closing the door behind them.

"It's beautiful," Elphaba smiled.

"I'm glad it earned your stamp of approval." He gave her a quick tour, showing her the parlor, kitchen, dining hall, and bedrooms and bathrooms. "You can have my room and I'll stay in the room down the hall."

"I can't take your room, Fiyero."

"Don't worry about it. The bedroom down the hall is the master bedroom. This may be my only chance to sleep in a king-sized bed without having king-sized responsibilities, and I'm taking that opportunity!"

Elphaba gave him a look, but it quickly melted into a smile. "Thank you, Fiyero. I really appreciate all of this."

Fiyero nodded. "Of course, Elphaba. I'll let you unpack."

She watched her host leave before quickly unpacking her suitcase. When she finished, she heard Fiyero rummaging through the kitchen and went to investigate.

"If you don't wanna go out, there should be some non-perishables in here somewhere," he said, looking through the cabinet. "I hope nothing has expired."

Fiyero eventually found a half-full jar of peanut butter, canned tuna, condensed milk, two large cans of chicken soup, a box of green tea bags, and pancake mix. Nothing had expired yet, so the two weighed their options.

"Soup and tea?" he offered.

"Sure," Elphaba shrugged.

After dinner, the two bid each other good night and Elphaba immediately headed up to bed. She was exhausted from the day, and knew this was only the beginning. As she laid in the bed, snuggling under the covers, her mind drifted off to the new and somewhat unexpected developments in her life, and what she should do moving forward.

The next morning, she woke up to the sunlight streaming in through her window. Yawning, she pushed herself up and slowly slid out of bed. She went to her window and gasped softly. The sunlight reflected the tall, green buildings perfectly, causing them to shimmer and shine. The snow on the ground was tainted with footprints, but it didn't take away from the beauty. She admired the sight for a few moments before going to get ready.

Forty minutes later, she emerged from her room, wearing a matching navy, wool sweater, and skirt, her damp hair tied back in a braid. She made her way to Fiyero's room to see if he was awake, but stopped. She sniffed the air and quickly changed her destination to the kitchen.

"Good morning," the prince greeted her happily from where he stood over the stove.

"Morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Did you?"

"Yeah. How do you feel about peanut butter pancakes?"

"Pancakes? How are you making them without eggs?"

"You're not gonna believe this. There were two eggs in the fridge. Not in a carton or anything. Just sitting there on the shelf. They looked alright, so I used them. If I had known about the eggs, we would have had the pancakes last night for dinner."

"Peanut butter pancakes for dinner?"

"Why would you have soup for dinner when you could have peanut butter pancakes?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and started boiling the water for the tea. "You like to cook?"

"A bit. I'm not very good at it."

"Then should I be trusting you with the pancakes?"

"I can do this, and other basic things. The box has the directions on the back, so it's fine. But if you ask me to make something from scratch, forget it. I tried to help out the kitchen staff once, but I almost started a small fire, so from then on, I was banned from the kitchen."

"Not everyone can be a wiz in the kitchen."

"Elphaba, I was boiling eggs."

Elphaba let out a loud laugh as she poured the tea and Fiyero slipped the pancakes onto their plates and carried them to the table. "Really?"

"I was really trying to help," he said, laughing with her. "My father wanted me to learn how the castle was run, and honestly, kitchen duty wasn't the worst job on the list."

"What was the worst job?"

"I'd rather not say while we're eating."

They were quiet for a moment, the only sounds being their silverware against their plates as they ate.

"Do you like to cook?" Fiyero asked.

"Well, I've certainly never almost burned down a castle while boiling eggs."

"Neither have I! It was a small thing! The worst it did was burn the eggs, not the entire castle!"

"But yes, I do like cooking. But I love baking even more."

"You bake? I didn't know that."

Elphaba shrugged. "I don't have many memories of my mother, but there's one I remember crystal clearly. I was three, and she was pregnant with Nessa. We were in the kitchen and I was helping her make a pie. It was a chocolate cinnamon pie. We made everything from scratch. I remember the feeling of her hands over mine as we rolled out the dough and mixed the filling, and how we sang and danced around the kitchen as the pie baked in the oven. We made a bunch of pies together, but I was so young, and the cinnamon chocolate was… our last one together."

"Do you bake often?"

"I would when my father wasn't home. He travels a lot, so I would get lots of opportunities."

"What would you do with the pies?"

"The staff loved them, especially the ones who remembered my mother."

"Did you ever make a pie with your sister?"

"No, I didn't really start baking until I was around thirteen or fourteen. My mother had a cookbook of her pie recipes and over the years, I memorized all of them. I did all the baking by myself. My father never knew about any of this."

"Your father never –"

"I couldn't really depend on him for much, especially after Nessa's death. And we didn't do much together to begin with, so… yeah."

"Will you teach me?"

Elphaba looked up. "Teach you how to bake a pie?"

The prince nodded. "I know it was a special thing you did with your mother, and then… by yourself, but I would love to learn. I promise not to set anything on fire. Plus, I think it's time I redeemed myself and got back in our cook's good graces."

"Sure, Fiyero," Elphaba chuckled. "I'd love to show you sometime."

* * *

Elphaba was mesmerized as they walked through the city. She had never seen so many shops and boutiques all together like this.

"Is it everything you expected?" Fiyero asked, seeing Elphaba's eyes light up in wonder.

"It's wonderful," she smiled, her eyes resting on the palace in the distance. "Nobody's staring. Nobody's pointing. This is the first time… this has never…"

Fiyero watched her, his smile slowly growing bigger. She looked so relaxed and carefree. He had never seen her so happy, and it made him happy that he was able to give it to her. "You look… positively emerald."

It took Elphaba a second to realize that comment wasn't an insult. Someone had made a comment about her skin and it sounded like… a compliment. One look at Fiyero's face told her that it was, indeed, a compliment, and she blushed.

"You look cute when you blush."

She quickly looked down. "It's the cold weather."

"Of course. So, where should we look first for your dress tonight?"

"I don't know. I've never been dress shopping like this."

They went into a few shops, but didn't find anything Elphaba liked. After a while, she was starting to get tired, and Fiyero was starting to get hungry. Finally, a small boutique next to an ice cream parlor caught their attention.

Elphaba's eyes immediately landed on a dress in the window, and before she could say anything, Fiyero took her hand and pulled her inside, requesting a sales associate to bring out the dress.

"Go try it on," Fiyero said as the sales girl handed Elphaba the dress and led them to the dressing rooms. He waited patiently, and his breath hitched when Elphaba came out.

The fitted, black bodice of the satin gown hugged her figure perfectly, showing off her neck and collarbone with the low-neckline. The full, wine-colored, ombre skirt came down to her ankles, with a wine ribbon in the front.

"Well?" she asked, pulling the quarter-length sleeves down past her elbows.

"Spin."

Elphaba slowly turned, showing off how the back dipped into a low 'v'. "Do you like it?"

"Do _you_ like it?"

"I… do. I've never worn a dress like this, but… I like it."

"And it has pockets!"

"That, too."

"So, is it a 'yes'?"

Elphaba looked at herself in the mirror. She did like the dress. And it didn't clash with her skin. She looked at the tag and blanched. "It's a bit pricy."

"Don't worry about that."

Elphaba glanced at him. "I'm not letting you buy this dress for me, Fiyero."

"Think of it as a Lurlinemas present."

"No. It's too much."

"It's a beautiful dress that looks beautiful on you."

"I'm not beautiful."

"Yes, you are, Elphaba. And I can tell that you really want this dress."

After going back and forth, Elphaba eventually gave in and changed back into her own clothes. She tried to convince Fiyero to have her pay for half, but he wouldn't hear any of it.

"You're not paying for half of your Lurlinemas present, Elphaba. That's not how this works," was the response he gave as he handed the cashier the money. "Plus, you have the rest of the day to find something for me."

Fiyero's voice was light, but Elphaba knew she had to get him something nice. She just didn't know the types of things he would like.

They still had a few more hours to kill before they had to go back to get ready for the ballet, so the two friends continued to walk around the city, stopping in front of an ice cream parlor.

"Ice cream, Fiyero? It's freezing."

"It's never too cold for ice cream!"

And that's how Elphaba found herself sitting next to Fiyero in a booth, sharing an extra-large chocolate sundae with warm fudge and emerald sprinkles. She didn't want to admit that Fiyero might have been a bit right, but the sundae was so good. They were halfway done when she felt Fiyero put his arm around her shoulder. Her eyes traveled from his arm to his face.

"Is this okay?" he asked her, reading her expression.

Elphaba abruptly stood and put on her coat. "Maybe we should go back and get ready."

"But we didn't finish –"

"It's getting late. We don't want to be late to the theater."

"We don't want to leave this sundae unfinished."

Elphaba hurried out and Fiyero took two more spoonfuls of the ice cream before hurrying after her.

"Elphaba, wait!" he called after her. "Elphaba, wait! What was that about?" He caught up with her two blocks down from the parlor and grabbed her hand.

Elphaba immediately felt a jolt of energy up her arm and jerked her hand away. Her feelings for Fiyero were becoming very confusing. Did he want to be more than friends? Was friendship not enough?

"Elphaba –"

"You're dating Galinda. She's your girlfriend, and my roommate, and you need to remember that."

It became clear to the prince that Elphaba didn't know what was going on. Then again, neither did he, not really. She was right; he was dating Galinda. But Galinda wasn't there right now. And he knew that was the worst possible excuse he could give for being with Elphaba, but it was somewhat true. Because of Galinda's absence, he was able to really get to know the green girl and because of that, he began to like her. And that 'like' was slowly getting stronger with every minute they spent together and every conversation they had.

"I'm sorry. If this is about my… we can limit our physical contact. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," he said, walking back to the townhouse.

Elphaba watched him for a clock-tick. As unfamiliar as this feeling was, it wasn't a bad feeling. Just unfamiliar, and that scared her. Being with Fiyero was making her feel things that she knew she shouldn't be feeling. And there was no way to control it. But she had to. The last thing she wanted was for Fiyero to get hurt because of her.


	12. At The Ballet

**This chapter contains spoilers for ****_'The Nutcracker'_**** ballet. It's one of my favorites, but if you haven't seen it, just know that this chapter contains spoilers.**

* * *

The walk back to the townhouse was completely silent, except for the soft sound of carols being sung in the distance. It was only once they entered and Fiyero closed the door behind them that Elphaba spoke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful before. I appreciate you inviting me and I'm having a wonderful time. I just… I don't… I think we should…"

"It's alright, Elphaba. I understand. I let my feelings –"

"You can't have feelings for me, Fiyero! You just can't." Elphaba ran up the stairs to her room, closing the door behind her with a loud sigh.

The prince was left with no other choice than to get ready. He quickly freshened up before slipping into his black tux and dress shoes and quickly combed out his hair. He looked at his reflection and deemed himself ready as he slipped the tickets into his pocket. He heard a noise from outside and looked out his window to see that their carriage had just arrived. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, Elphaba came out.

Fiyero knew what the dress looked like on Elphaba, but for some reason, she looked even more stunning. Probably because they weren't surrounded by noisy customers and bad store lighting.

Elphaba had styled her hair into an elegant bun with a crystal flower comb delicately placed in her updo. He couldn't really see her shoes, but could tell that they were low heels.

"You look nice," he said, then bit his lip. Was he allowed to compliment her, even though he was dating Galinda?

"Thank you," Elphaba said, seemingly allowing the compliment. "You look handsome."

"Thanks. Are you ready?"

Elphaba nodded and the two headed down the stairs and out the door. She gasped at the carriage, slowly turning to look at the prince. "Is that for us?"

"Yeah. My parents didn't think it would be good to walk to the theater and back." He helped Elphaba inside before climbing in after her and closing the door.

"Where did you get the comb?" Fiyero asked as they were off. "It's beautiful."

"It was my mother's. I was able to keep a few of her things after she died, but a lot of her jewelry was given to Nessa. After Nessa died, I don't know what my father did with it."

"Does your father know about… the incident?"

"Dear Oz, I hope not."

Fiyero knew continuing that conversation wouldn't be the best idea, and he searched for changes in subject. "We can go backstage and meet the dancers after the show if you'd like."

"We can do that?"

"There are perks to being a prince."

"Is it already planned?"

"I can let the manager of the theater know when we get there. He knows we're coming tonight. But we don't have to if you don't want to."

"I'd like to," Elphaba smiled.

They got to the theater half-an-hour before the start of the show. People were starting to file in, all dressed up in their best. Even children entered the theater, seeing as this was a family-friendly show. Fiyero climbed out first and helped Elphaba down before leading her inside. A middle-aged man in a waistcoat approached Fiyero at the door and bowed.

"Your Highness, welcome to The Royal Emerald Theater for our performance of _'The Nutcracker'_. My name is Aabal Joza, manager of the theater."

"Thank you, Mr. Joza. This is my friend, Miss Elphaba Thropp," Fiyero smiled.

"Miss Thropp," Mr. Joza nodded, not batting an eye at Elphaba's skin. "Please allow me to show you to your box seats."

He led them up a flight of stairs and they entered their private box with a perfect view of the stage. Once they were seated, he handed them their programs.

"If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to let us know. And will you be meeting the dancers after the performance? I must tell them now so they know to stay in costume after the curtain call."

"We would love to. Thank you, Mr. Joza."

"My pleasure, Your Highness, Miss Thropp. Please enjoy the show."

"Thank you," Elphaba smiled as Mr. Joza left. She opened the program and flipped to the synopsis page.

The ballet was about a young girl named Clara, who receives a nutcracker doll from her mysterious godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, and his nephew, at her family's Lurlinemas (called "Christmas" in the Wizard's world) party. But her younger brother, Fritz, breaks it. Her godfather is able to fix it with a white bandage, and during the night, Clara awakes in her living room to find it turned into a battlefield. The nutcracker doll then comes to life and defends her from the evil, seven-headed Mouse King, with the help of an army of toy soldiers. The Nutcracker kills the Mouse King and turns into the Prince. Then they both go on a magical journey to the Kingdom of Snow and the Land of Sweets where the prince's triumph is celebrated.

Once she got the gist of the story, she turned to the performer biographies. "The girl playing Clara is only twelve years old!"

Fiyero looked through his program. "Lylyth Johms. She had a long list of credits for a twelve-year-old. And she's Vinkun."

"The boy playing Fritz is only eight. Cain Lundun. And the same dancer plays the nephew and the prince; Lyle McGoren, age twelve. And looks at all of the other children playing the party guests, soldiers, and angels. They're all under thirteen."

"My parents said that when they saw _'The Nutcracker'_ here years ago, Hannalyn Johab, who now plays the Sugar Plum Fairy, had played Clara."

The two scanned the rest of the program until the lights dimmed and the pre-show announcement came over the loudspeaker. Everyone applauded as the conductor, a young woman in a long, black dress, came out and introduced the orchestra and began the show.

From the moment the curtain went up, Elphaba was mesmerized. The children at the party were so adorable, and she couldn't help but laugh with everyone else when the littlest girl hid under Clara's dress when it was time to leave the party. Fiyero looked over and smiled at the look of wonder on Elphaba's face as the Lurlinemas tree grew from the stage, but turned back to the stage before she noticed him looking at her. He held his breath during the battle scene, even though he knew how it was going to end. The prince looked like an awe-struck child as the snow ballerinas came out and danced on pointe shoes as snow fell.

"What do you think?" Fiyero asked as the lights came up for intermission.

"It's wonderful," Elphaba whispered, and the prince took notice of the tears in her eyes. "I've never seen anything like it."

"When I was little, my parents took me to see the show at the Vinkun Ballet Academy. That was when I fell in love with dancing. My parents enrolled me in a few classes, and eventually, I was in their show, twice in fact."

"You were? Who did you play?"

"My first year, I was in the young boy's ensemble, so a party guest, toy soldier, and one of Mother Ginger's polichinelles. The next year, I was Fritz."

"I didn't know you took ballet."

"I stopped when I was fifteen. School and crown prince stuff took too much time."

"Do you miss it?"

"A bit. I don't really have a lot of time to think about what I miss. But I do regret never being able to play the prince." He opened the program, his lips slowly curling into a thoughtful frown as he looked at one of the cast names.

"What is it?" Elphaba asked.

"Khiara Aynan. She's playing the Snow Queen. Her name sounds very familiar, but I can't place it."

"I'm gonna go stretch my legs," Elphaba said, standing and leaving the box seats.

She was on her way to the restroom when she passed the gift stand. She paused, her eyes resting on a special souvenir nutcracker doll. The twenty-four-inch nutcracker wore a festival outfit, complete with gold epaulets and a saber. It had a vignette display on its belly of the snowflake dancers dancing around a large Lurlinemas tree.

"It plays the _'Nutcracker March'_ when you press the button on its crown," the salesgirl explained to another family, who was also looking at the doll.

Elphaba instantly knew it would be the perfect gift for Fiyero. After the family left, she went to the stand to purchase the gift. It cost most of her spending money, but she knew it would be worth it, especially after everything Fiyero had done for her.

"Would you like this gift-wrapped, miss? It's free with your order," the salesgirl said as she took Elphaba's money.

"Yes, please. Thank you."

The girl nodded and quickly wrapped the boxed nutcracker and gently slid it into a simple paper bag. She handed it back to Elphaba just as the lights blinked, signaling the second act was about to begin soon.

"What's that?" Fiyero asked, nodding to the bag as Elphaba took her seat.

"Just something that caught my attention."

Fiyero didn't have time to ask as the lights dimmed and the second act started. Elphaba held a look of pure wonder the entire act. Fiyero did too, but mostly because of the amazement in Elphaba's eyes. As soon as the curtain rose for the curtain call, Elphaba and Fiyero were up on their feet, clapping as loud as she could.

"It's a wonder how they can stand on their toes like that," Elphaba said, coming back to the box seats after running to the restroom.

"Pointe shoes. They're specially made ballet shoes with a box inside near the toes. It's predominately for females, but a few dances have males en pointe."

"And was Mother Ginger…"

"Played by a guy? Yes. That's the way it always is. And the crazier she is, the more the audience loves it. And I finally remembered who Khiara Aynan is! We were in the show together as children. When I was Fritz, she was Clara. She had taken me under her wing, even though she was only three years older than me."

"Do you think she'll remember you?"

"There's only one way to find out."

Mr. Joza came in and bowed, announcing that everyone was ready backstage. They both followed him to the foyer and through a door that read 'Cast and Crew Only'. The backstage area was seemingly a maze, but they quickly made it to the stage, where the dancers were lined up, waiting to greet them.

"His Highness, Crown Prince Fiyero of the Vinkus, and Miss Elphaba Thropp," Mr. Joza said, and everyone applauded.

"Wonderful performance, everyone!" Fiyero smiled. "Elphaba and I really enjoyed it."

"We did," Elphaba agreed. She followed Fiyero down the line as he was introduced to and shook hands with the dancers.

"And this is Mrs. Maia Estrellad, our conductor," Mr. Joza smiled, nodding to the young woman as Fiyero shook her hand.

"Tonight was beautiful, Mrs. Estrellad," Fiyero smiled as the woman curtsied. He then noticed her baby bump. "And I believe congratulations are in order."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Mrs. Estrellad smiled, placing a hand on her stomach.

"How far along are you, if I may ask?" Elphaba questioned as Fiyero continued to move down the line.

"Six months, Miss Thropp. Are you and Prince Fiyero a couple?"

"Oh, no. We're just friends from Shiz University."

"I graduated from Shiz six years ago with my masters. Master of Music, conducting concentration. Tell me, is Dr. Jydi still there? The man was ninety-one when I graduated, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was still there, making his students hold up their arms for the whole class to 'build better posture'."

"Oh, I don't know any of the music faculty. I'm a history major."

Mrs. Estrellad smiled politely and Elphaba offered her congratulations before catching up with Fiyero, who was relearning one of the party dances with the children.

"I don't recall the choreography being this hard," he said, untangling his legs as the children giggled.

"Who did you play, Prince Fiyero?" the little girl who hid under Clara's dress asked.

"Well, my first year, I was a toy soldier and one of Mother Ginger's polichinelles. My second year, I was Fritz."

"That's me!" Cain exclaimed, his hand shooting into the air as he jumped up and down. "How did I do?"

"You were incredible!" Fiyero smiled, giving him a high-five, which prompted all the other kids to want high-fives from the prince.

"Do you remember who your Clara was?" a new voice asked.

Fiyero looked up and smiled. "I believe her name was Khiara Aynan, and she could have played the Snow Queen tonight, but I could be wrong."

"You've danced with Prince Fiyero, Miss Khiara?" Lylyth asked, bouncing on her toes.

"I did, when I was around your age, back in the Vinkus," Khiara said, curtsying respectfully to Fiyero. "Your Highness."

"You still remember that?" Fiyero smiled, shaking her hand and giving her a quick hug.

"Well, having the Prince of the Vinkus pretending to push you out of the way to peak through a keyhole at a party isn't exactly something you forget. Just like I could never forget what happened our opening night. You took the nutcracker doll and threw it to the floor, but it didn't break."

"So I proceeded to jump on it until it did. That was a strong doll that night," Fiyero added with a chuckle. "What? I had to stay in character."

"That sounds like something Cain would do," Lylyth snickered.

"Hey!" the younger boy protested, and Lylyth playfully ruffled his hair.

Fiyero continued to interact with the children, answering their questions and asking his own. They even got to take a group picture with him. This went on for around fifteen minutes, then Mr. Joza said they needed to close the theater for the night. The children didn't look happy, but lined up with the other dancers and properly thanked Fiyero and Elphaba for seeing the show.

"You're very good with kids," Elphaba said as they rode back to the townhouse.

"I was once in their position. My cast was so excited and nervous when my parents came backstage after one of our shows, but my parents made them feel at ease and like we all were family. Those kids will probably be talking about tonight for years. Tonight… it's not really a side a lot of people see, or even know about. They don't usually think of a "dancing through life" prince taking time out to talk to kids."

"I'm… glad I got to see that side of you, Fiyero. People really should give you the chance to show it more often."

"Hopefully someday, they will," Fiyero said as the carriage came to a slow halt. Fiyero helped Elphaba down and tipped the driver, watching as he drove off before leading Elphaba inside.

* * *

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, all!**


	13. Lurlinemas Miracles

Elphaba awoke to the smell of something sweet filling the house. She pushed herself up and slowly opened her eyes. It was Lurlinemas morning, but it didn't feel like a normal day, like she was accustomed to. Something felt off. Rising to her feet, she slipped on her robe and opened the door, following the sweet aroma down the hall, but stopped when she reached the stairs.

The banister was decorated with a long string of green and gold garland. She slowly walked down and into the parlor, her breath catching in her throat.

The parlor was fully decorated with Lurlinemas wreathes, more garland, and cutouts of Lurlinemas characters lining the walls. In the corner was a large, grandly decorated Lurlinemas tree, complete with a golden star at the top. Footsteps reached her ears and she turned as Fiyero entered the parlor, a wide grin on his face.

"Fiyero, what… how… did you…"

"Happy Lurlinemas, Elphaba."

"Yes, Happy Lurlinemas," Elphaba said slowly, still trying to get used to the decorated room. "How did you… what is…"

"Would you believe it's a Lurlinemas miracle?"

Despite herself, Elphaba chuckled. "When did you do all this?"

"I've always been an early riser on Lurlinemas, even though three-thirty might be a little too early. I couldn't get back to sleep. I went looking for an extra blanket when I stumbled on the decorations. I remembered how you said your father never decorated since your sister's death, so I thought –"

He hadn't realized Elphaba was slowly closing the gap between them until he felt her arms wrap tightly around him and her face buried in his shoulder.

"It's perfect. I love it. Thank you," she whispered.

Fiyero gently returned the hug, and they stayed that way for a while.

"Fiyero?"

"Yes?"

"… Is something burning?"

_"My waffles!"_

The prince broke away from the hug and ran back into the kitchen. Elphaba followed and was the sole witness to him fanning the waffle iron, as whatever was in the pot on the stove began to bubble and boil over, and a loud timer went off.

Once Fiyero got the iron under control, he turned off the fire under the pot and moved it over to cool and turned off the timer.

"Were you boiling eggs?" Elphaba asked.

"Oatmeal, actually."

"Where did all this food come from?"

The prince gave her a sheepish grin. "I go food shopping when I can't sleep?"

Elphaba's eyebrow rose.

"I'm serious. The all-night-market closed at five this morning."

"So you went out to get food?"

"Well, we both have to eat breakfast," Fiyero said, getting out two bowls for the oatmeal. Elphaba took the bowls to the table and returned to retrieve Fiyero's slightly singed waffles and glasses of orange juice.

"It won't be so bad if you drench them in butter and syrup," Fiyero said as they sat at the table and he cut into the hardened waffle.

"It's the best Lurlinemas breakfast I've ever had. Burnt waffles and all."

"They're not burnt! Just… lightly singed."

"Either way, they're delicious."

"Thanks. I put my foot in these."

Elphaba paled, resisting the urge to spit out her mouthful of waffles. _"What?"_

"No, wait! It's just an expression! It means that I worked really hard. It doesn't… I mean, I didn't… the food is foot-free."

"Oh. Okay," Elphaba said, swallowing the food and taking a deep breath.

"And would you mind telling our kitchen staff that I made delicious waffles?"

"I will gladly tell them about your waffles that were only slightly singed, still looked like waffles, and free of Fiyero's feet, and therefore, editable."

After breakfast, Fiyero cleared the table and started on the dishes. While he worked, Elphaba took the opportunity to get his present from her room. When she returned, Fiyero was sprawled across the sofa. He straightened when he saw Elphaba, then his smile melted into a look of confusion when he noticed her hiding something behind her back.

"Happy Lurlinemas," she said, holding out the wrapped present.

Fiyero's eyes widened. He slowly pushed himself up as he gingerly took the present from Elphaba. "I… I didn't know we were gonna… what did you…"

"You've made this holiday my first happy one in years. It's the least I could do."

"Thank you, Elphaba." He tore off the wrapping paper and his mouth dropped open as soon as his eyes saw the nutcracker. "This… this is…"

"And it plays the _'Nutcracker March'_ when you press the button on its crown."

Fiyero pressed the button and smiled as it played the song. "This is…"

"And it doesn't actually work with cracking nuts so… don't try."

The prince laughed. His eyes slowly remet Elphaba's gaze. "I love it. Thank you, Fae."

Elphaba blinked. "… Fae?"

Fiyero held his breath. Did he just say that out loud? He didn't mean for that nickname to slip out. Could he even give her a nickname? He knew what he thought, and he thought he knew what Elphaba thought, but all the thoughts were getting confused and jumbled in his brain.

"Yes. Fae." If he sounded confident enough, maybe this would work out. "My tongue was tired of saying your full name, so I shortened it. You're welcome."

Even when he said it confidently, some things would always sound stupid.

"I'm gonna be honest; that sounded a lot less stupid in my head."

Elphaba's eyebrow rose.

"Can you stop silently judging me and just do it verbally."

Elphaba opened her mouth, but no sound came out, so she closed it again.

"Elphaba, say something."

"… Something…" was the only thing her brain could come up with.

Not the something he was expecting her to say, but he went with it. "I feel like we're at the stage in our friendship where we can give each other nicknames."

"Where did you come up with 'Fae'?" Elphaba finally asked.

"I was playing with the multiple syllables of your name and it just… came naturally."

Elphaba fidgeted under the prince's gaze. "Oh."

"If you don't like it, I won't call you that again."

"No, I… I do… like it."

"Okay," Fiyero said with a soft smile. "And you can call me –"

"Yero."

So she had been thinking about it, too? It wasn't as creative as 'Fae', but Fiyero loved it anyway. "It's less perky than 'Fifi'."

"I don't think I could call you that."

"I never said I liked it, anyway."

"So… Fae and Yero?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Good."

"Good."

* * *

"I have one more surprise for you before we go back."

Elphaba looked up from the window. "Another one? Fiyero, I –"

"Just one more. I promise."

"What is it?"

"You have to get your coat."

"Fiyero, what is it?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

She looked a bit unsure, but she grabbed her coat and followed Fiyero out the door. They walked to the park, but when Elphaba saw what Fiyero's surprise was, she immediately turned around.

"No."

Fiyero gently took her hand. "Fae, wait –"

"No, Fiyero. Absolutely not."

"Just let me explain."

"No. Let me go, Fiyero."

"They only have this once a year on Lurlinemas. And it's not real ice."

Elphaba briefly stopped trying to escape Fiyero's grip. "What?"

"It's called synthetic ice. It's from the Wizard's world. It's artificial ice. It won't crack or melt."

"I… I don't even know how to skate. I never learned. I would just watch Nessa."

"I'll show you."

"I don't… I've never –"

"I'll be right by your side the entire time."

That was part of the reason Elphaba was afraid. She didn't want Fiyero by her side the entire time. But part of her really, _really_ did.

"You don't have to think about what happened."

"But I will. And it's not something I can control. I will think about it."

"Elphaba, I promise you. Nothing will happen. You won't get hurt."

Getting hurt wasn't the top of Elphaba's list of concerns. Why couldn't Fiyero understand? She wasn't worried about herself.

"Is that why you took me here? To try to make me get over what happened?"

"No, Fae."

"Then _why_?"

"I'm sorry, Elphaba. I don't know what I was thinking. I _wasn't_ thinking. Let's just go back. I'm sorry."

"Why do you like ice skating?" Elphaba asked as the prince walked away.

"That's not important."

"No, Yero. I'm sorry. Tell me, please." Elphaba grabbed his hand, ignoring the jolt that usually accompanied physical contact with him.

"It's nothing, Elphaba."

The prince easily pulled his hand away from Elphaba's, but she quickly grabbed it back and pulled him towards the skate rental booth.

"Elphaba –"

"What size are you?"

"What are you doing?"

"What size are you, Yero?"

"Nine, but –"

"One male nine and one female eight, please," Elphaba said to the booth worker.

The young man behind the counter nodded and retrieved the shoes for them. Elphaba nodded her thanks and gave him the rental fee.

"Elphaba, you don't have to do this for me," Fiyero said, walking to a nearby bench.

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm not even doing this for me. I'm doing this for…" She took a deep breath, "us."

The prince looked unsure, but slowly began to put on the skates. Once both of theirs were on, he put their shoes in a locker and slowly walked back to Elphaba, who was still sitting on the bench. He offered her his hand, which she readily took, and gently helped her to her feet.

"How do you stand in these?" Elphaba asked, her legs wobbling and threatening to give out.

"It's easier on the ice," Fiyero said, helping her to the ice. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

One step at a time, the couple walked onto the ice. Elphaba's legs immediately gave out, but Fiyero's strong arms held her upright. The large rink wasn't that busy, but the couple still stayed near the edge. After a few minutes, Elphaba started to get the hang of it and slowly increased their speed.

"You're getting good at this," Fiyero smiled, gently loosening his grip around Elphaba's waist.

Elphaba smiled and gently grabbed Fiyero's hand. "Thanks."

Soon tiring, they sat on a bench near the edge of the rink, sipping cups of hot chocolate and watching everyone else.

"Fae?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's not leave yet. Let's stay here for New Year's and go back when the new semester starts."

"What?"

"Let's just stay here together. We don't have to go back to Shiz tomorrow. We can stay."

The green girl's eyes widened slightly. "We should head back to the house now."

"Why?"

"I'm tired."

Fiyero looked confused, but went to get their shoes as Elphaba took off her ice skates. The walk back to the townhouse was quick and quiet. The prince realized that Elphaba wasn't going to talk to him, so he didn't push her.

"I'm going to pack," Elphaba said as soon as they returned to the house, heading up the stairs.

"What? Why?"

"We should go back to Shiz tomorrow, as planned."

"Why, Fae?"

"Because I think that's the best idea." She was getting too comfortable being alone with Fiyero. She had to end it before it became a problem for both of them. "You need to go back to Galinda and I –"

"Elphaba, why don't you want me to be nice to you? Why is it that every time we start getting closer, you push me away?"

Then, Elphaba just snapped. She stopped halfway up the stairs and whipped around to face the prince. "Everyone who has cared about me is gone. My mother, my sister, hell and Oz, even Dr. Dillamond. I'm a curse, Fiyero! I always end up hurting the people I care about. _That's_ why I don't want to let anyone else in. That's why I _can't_. They'll only end up hurting me. And I'll end up hurting them."

"Fae, I would never hurt you."

"But I might hurt you. Don't you understand that? I don't want to hurt you." She turned away. "You should go back to Galinda. We can both pretend that none of this ever happened."

"I can't, because it did, and I don't want to forget."

"You need to!"

"Is that what you want?"

"It's what needs to happen. We need to stop this!"

"Ozdamnit, Elphaba!" Fiyero closed the distance between them and gently cupped her cheek as he pressed his lips against her.

All of Elphaba's senses melted together, along with her desire to fight back. She didn't know if it was willingly or subconsciously, but she wrapped her arms around Fiyero and clung to him. She felt safe and terrified at the same time. The last time she allowed herself to be vulnerable, it didn't end well. She didn't want that to happen with Fiyero.

So she violently broke away, bolted up the stairs, and slammed her door.


	14. Until It Wasn't

**Thank you all for your reviews so far! And now… something we've all been waiting for.**

* * *

Galinda didn't remember her suitcase being this heavy before the break. And if anything, she was returning with less stuff. Grunting, she pulled the suitcase up the stairs, regretting not learning any levitation spells. She finally reached her room and fished out her key. She wondered if Elphaba would still be there. She opened the door and her eyes immediately fell on her roommate, who was sitting on her bed with her notebook, seemingly in the same position she left her in.

"You're in the exact same position I left you in," was the blonde's greeting.

Elphaba glanced up at her. "Hello to you, too, Miss Galinda."

"I mean… hi, Miss Elphaba. How was your break?"

"Uneventful. I suppose I should ask how yours was."

"It was fine. Lots of parties and boys flirting with me. You know, the usual."

"And you'll be pleased to know I didn't touch any of your belongings. And if you don't believe me, feel free to DNA test them."

"You could have been wearing gloves," Galinda pointed out.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You know what –"

"Wait. I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted to start off the new semester."

"I thought you wanted to start it off by moving into your private room."

"Unfortunately, there isn't one available, so we are stuck together for the rest of the year."

"What joy."

"Did you really stay in here the entire break?"

"No, I went out." She didn't plan on telling Galinda the whole truth. After all, nothing happened and it was none of her business.

"Where?"

"To get food."

"And that's it?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"I'm just curious. I'm trying to make conversation."

"How good of you."

"You know, maybe if you spent less time being sarcastic and stand-offish, you would see that I'm actually trying to be genuinely and sincerely nice to you."

"The last time I trust you, you tricked me into believing that you had changed and then you told the whole school my secret."

"I didn't tell the whole school!"

"You told your three gossiping goons, which is pretty much the same thing."

"They're not goons. And I already told you that was an accident."

"And it was an accident that won't happen against because I will not make the same, dumb mistake."

"Either way, they transferred. Pfannee's going to Mt. Runcible College and ShenShen's going to Grand Marsar University. They said their major programs are better there. Milla's still here, though."

Elphaba brightened up, but didn't let her face show it. Those were two fewer problems she had to worry about.

Galinda shifted her weight. "We can still be civil to each other."

"But that does not, nor will it ever, make us friends."

So that's how it was gonna be? Galinda could live with that. She was the most popular girl in their year. Surely she could befriend whoever she wanted. There was a waitlist of people who would sell their left lung for the chance to sit with her at lunch. She didn't need her roommate to befriend her.

The two didn't say another word to each other for the rest of the day.

The next morning, classes resumed. When Galinda awoke at eight AM, her roommate was already gone. The blonde was more than happy to have the entire room to herself as she got ready for her first day back. She didn't have her first class until 10:45, so she had a long breakfast in the dining hall. The food didn't taste as good after she had three weeks of Jaynie's delicious cooking. But she was really hungry, so she made it work.

She didn't know Fiyero was gonna be in her first class, so she got a great treat when she saw him sitting in the front row. She slid into the seat next to him, but before she could open her mouth, the prince turned and pressed his lips against hers. The surprising gesture caught Galinda off-guard, but quickly melted.

"Hi," Fiyero whispered.

"Hi. Uh… wow. Hi. How was um… your break?"

"Great. Yours?"

"Yeah. Great." Were they the perfect couple again? Would everything go back to the way it was at the beginning of the school year? "I'm sorry I didn't write. I was so busy with the parties and celebrations and… everything."

"I understand. I was busy, too."

"What did you do?"

Fiyero didn't get a chance to answer because their physics professor entered the room and started class.

The only other class they had together for the rest of the week was philosophy, a class neither of them was overly excited about. It was a graduation requirement, and was taught by the toughest professor at the school, Dr. Targeious. She was known around campus as "Tough-As-Nails Targeious", and apparently, she really lived up to that name.

Fiyero was already in the classroom as everyone entered. The seats in the back filled up quickly; clearly everyone had heard the rumors. By the time the last student entered the room, there were only vacant seats in the front row.

Fiyero's eyes silently followed Elphaba as she took a seat in the front row by the window. He didn't know she was going to be in this class. He hadn't talked to her since they returned to campus. She was clearly avoiding him, and he didn't want to push her. She could forget about their vacation together, but he would never forget. He just wouldn't mention it. He watched as she took out her materials without a second glance around the room before returning his attention to Galinda.

As soon as Dr. Targeious entered the room, all sounds stopped. Everyone seemingly held their breath. The middle-aged professor looked around the room and narrowed her eyes. "At least five of you will not make it to the end of the semester," she said before taking out her attendance book and calling roll. Fiyero glanced around the room and his eyes landed on Elphaba. She was the only one who didn't seem fazed. If she was as terrified as everyone else, she had a perfect poker face.

"She's terrifying!" Fiyero gasped once he and Galinda were out of earshot of the classroom. "Why was the first thing she said a prophecy that at least five of us would either drop out of the class or flunk?"

"Did you hear Raylyn and Kyleon? They're both going to the registrar's office to drop the course right now."

"Two down, three to go."

"Are you going to?"

"No. This is a graduation requirement, and I'd rather get it over with now. I just need a passing grade."

"Same, though she sounds like she's gonna make this class very hard to pass. Did you hear her say that if she asks for a seven-page essay, and our essay doesn't go to the bottom of the seventh page, she's taking off half a letter grade? Just for that!"

"She's not messing around. I have this theory that she probably used to be a nice teacher, but people took advantage of her and that's why she's such a hard-ass."

"It's hard to imagine her as anyone else other than 'Tough-as-Nails' Targeious."

The couple soon reached the café for their lunch date. Everything continued as normal for the rest of the month. Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn't.

Even though they seemed to be the perfect couple, Galinda knew that something was up. Fiyero didn't seem the same. Their relationship was already strained before the break, but now she was beginning to not even recognize him. His mind seemed to be somewhere else whenever they were together. At first, she didn't ask him about it, brushing it off because they were perfect together, but she couldn't ignore it any longer.

"What's going on, Fiyero?" she asked as they walked back to Shiz from Dyanna's Diner.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been distant and moodified this past month. I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"There's something you're not telling me."

Fiyero shoved his hands into his pocket.

"Fiyero, talk to me, please."

The prince knew his behavior was unfair to Galinda, but he really wanted their coupleship to work. He wanted to be the power couple with her. He liked the pedestal people had put them on because of how perfect they looked together. He really liked Galinda. She was beautiful, smart, and funny. He loved being around her. But he didn't feel that special spark with her. He felt it with Elphaba.

_"Fiyero."_

So he told her everything. It all came out like a waterfall. He didn't mean for it to sound like a rant, but his words were so rushed and didn't leave him time to take breaths.

"That's why she doesn't let anyone get close to her. She's afraid they'll hurt her or that she'll hurt them," he ended. He bit his lip, trying to gage Galinda's reaction.

She didn't look mad, which was (hopefully) a good sign. She looked down at her shoes, her gloved hands clasped tightly behind her back. "I didn't know any of that," she whispered, almost remorsefully.

"No one did."

"I feel awful. I was horrendible to her from day one." The blonde took a deep breath before meeting the prince's eyes. "And you love her?"

No matter how easy and gentle Fiyero said this next word, it would probably only backfire on him. "Yes."

"For how long?"

He knew that question was coming. And he should have been more prepared for it. "Glin, I…"

"I'm not a little girl, Fiyero. I'm a mature adult. You can tell me the truth. How long have you two been seeing each other behind my back?"

"It wasn't like that. She needed a friend, Glin. Anyone could have seen that. But she's nice once you get to know her."

"Fiyero. How. Long?"

"Not long. She kept using the fact that I'm dating you as an excuse to why we shouldn't even be friends. But then I saw her face when we were at _'The Nutcracker'_. She looked so… happy. It was so simple, but she really looked happy."

"Okay."

He didn't know what to make of that answer. She didn't sound angry or upset, but she didn't sound okay, either. "Galinda, I'm so sorry."

"I know. I am, too. I knew this conversation was coming for a while. I didn't want to talk about it, but… I knew it wouldn't be fair to either of us. Maybe we just weren't as perfect together as we thought. I understand that you don't get to control who you love."

"I really am sorry, Glin. I wanted us to work out."

"I did, too. And no one can say we didn't try. Some things just don't work out the way we want."

If he was honest with himself, part of Fiyero really expected Galinda to explode at him any second. He expected her to yell at him, hit him, curse him out, anything to show him how angry she was at him. But she didn't. She was calm. The other part of him was thanking Oz for that.

"Can I still walk you back to your room?" Fiyero asked as they approached Crage Hall.

"I'd like that," Galinda said softly.

Fiyero nodded and walked with the blonde up the stairs.

"Can we still be friends?" they blurted out in unison, followed by an awkward chuckle.

"I'd like that," Fiyero smiled.

"I'd like that, too," Galinda smiled back, getting out her room key. She rose to her toes and gave Fiyero one final kiss. "I'll uh… see you later?"

"Yeah. Good night, Glin."

"Good night, Fifi."

Fiyero had to smile at the nickname. He slowly walked away feeling like that weight was lifted off his shoulders only to be replaced by another one. He didn't mean to hurt Galinda, but knew it couldn't have been avoided. He was happy that their breakup had been clean without any arguments or harsh words, but for some reason, Galinda's calmness made it worse for him. He felt like their whole relationship was just for show, but it wasn't. At least, he didn't feel like it was.

Galinda waited until he was out of sight before unlocking the door. Her roommate was out, which she was grateful for. As soon as the door closed, the waterworks flowed. She hurried over to her bed and grabbed her pillows, ripping them in half and sending feathers flying everywhere. She then ran to her desk, threw open the drawer and pulled out all her wedding magazines. She tore them apart, page-by-page, loud sobs escaping her lips. She threw the remains aside and marched over to her bed, but froze when she saw the picture on her nightstand.

It was of her and Fiyero dancing together at the Ozdust. She was smiling as she looked up at him, and he was smiling down at her, with his arms wrapped around her waist. Grunting, she pulled the photo out of its frame and tore it in half before tossing it into the waste bin.

She threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in the sad remains of her pillows, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed her heart out.


	15. Topics and Tactics

**Happy New Year, everyone!**

* * *

Elphaba tightened her scarf around her neck as she made her way back from her evening shift at the library. The late February weather wasn't being kind, and the college being on a hill didn't make it any better. The wind chill made it feel ten degrees colder than it really was. All she wanted to do was get back to her room. She had a late night of working and studying, and she just wanted to relax.

She felt her muscles relax as soon as she entered Crage Hall and the heat hit her. Sighing, she trudged up the stairs and unlocked the door. She paused in the doorway, taking in the room, or at least, her roommate's messy side. She wordlessly stepped in, softly closing the door behind her. Galinda's side looked like a tornado hit it, while her own side was untouched. Her roommate was lying on her side, curled in a ball under the covers. Her breath hitched every so often and her shoulders shook.

"Miss Galinda, are you alright?" Elphaba asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

Galinda slowly uncurled and glanced at Elphaba. The girl who had stolen her boyfriend's heart, however unintentionally. She wanted to yell at her. She wanted to curse her entire existence and tell her to return to her frog swamp. But she didn't. She couldn't.

"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered, recurling into her ball.

"The room –"

"I'll clean it later. Just leave me alone."

Elphaba couldn't get the image of her roommate's bloodshot eyes staring, almost glaring, back at her. She had never seen her so broken before. Something big must have happened. Had she done something? No, she couldn't have. If she had done something, the blonde would have made a big deal about it. But she didn't.

Elphaba quickly got ready for bed, glancing at her roommate once more before turning off the lights. "I'm sorry," she whispered into the darkness.

She was sure Galinda was asleep and didn't hear her, until a soft, "What?" responded.

"I'm… sorry you're so upset. And I'm sorry if I'm the reason you're upset."

Galinda sat up and turned towards her roommate's voice. "You didn't do anything." _Not intentionally, at least._

It took less than a week for rumors of Fiyero and Galinda's breakup to spread across campus. No one knew if they were true or not because the two were still friendly to each other. A few girls tried their luck to see if they could be the next future Princess of the Vinkus, but Fiyero politely fended them off. A few boys started flirting with Galinda, but she politely declined. No one bothered to even ask them if the rumors were accurate, but both of them knew they wouldn't.

A few days later, Galinda finally gathered up the nerve to talk to Elphaba about Fiyero. She could see that the two were avoiding each other. And it was time for it to stop. She slowly walked over to her roommate, who was sitting at her desk hunched over a worksheet, and loudly cleared her throat.

"Yes, Miss Galinda?" Elphaba asked, slightly annoyed that she was being bothered.

"Miss Elphaba, I'm sure you've heard the rumors about –"

"I don't have time to concern myself with your silly stories, Miss Galinda. If you'll excuse me." Elphaba grabbed her bag and made for the door, but the blonde's voice stopped her.

"He stayed with you while you were in the infirmary."

The green girl stopped and turned.

"Fiyero stayed with you while you were in the infirmary. He didn't tell me, and judging by the look you're giving me, he didn't tell you, either."

"… Why are you telling me this?"

"Because he cares about you. Really cares. More than cares, actually. He loves you, Elphaba."

Crap. That was exactly what she was afraid of. "Well, I have no interest in your boyfriend, so you can –"

"He's not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up."

It wasn't any of her business, but… "Why?"

"Because we realized that we're not as perfect together as we thought. We're meant for different people."

_Dear sweet Oz._

"And… Fiyero's meant for you."

_Dear sweet Oz on a stick._

"After he told me about your trip to the city, I knew you were beginning to return his feelings for you."

And that was something she simply couldn't allow. "Well, that's too bad for him, because I don't. So you can tell him to get those delusions out of his brainless head," she said, making for the door.

Galinda beat her to it and blocked her.

"Excuse me, Miss Galinda."

"Look, Miss Elphaba, it's taken me a long time to wrap my head around this, even longer to accept it, and even longer to find the strength to admit it to you, so the least you can do is listen to me."

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because I'm trying to help you."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because I've changed, alright! And I've seen how my cruelness has affected you, how the _world's_ cruelness has affected you!"

"You know nothing of the world's cruelness."

"I know that because of it, you've built these thick walls around yourself, have hidden behind them, and refuse to lower the bridge for anyone. You refuse to accept that anyone cares about you. You reject them before they have the chance to reject you."

"They _have_ rejected me."

Galinda took note of how Elphaba's voice had dropped. "Fiyero hasn't."

Elphaba clenched her teeth. "I'm going to be late for work," she hissed, pushing past her roommate and out the door.

The green girl was in her own world as she pushed the book cart through the shelves, restacking books. She liked working in the library. It gave her lots of time to think, but at the moment, the thought that was at the forefront of her mind was the last thing she wanted to think about.

But as usual, life had a way of throwing a wrench her way when she hasn't dealt with a problem in a while. And this problem came in the form of Fiyero, browsing through the stacks. Leaving the cart behind, she marched over to him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and dragged him behind all of the stacks, away from prying eyes.

"Elphaba, what in Oz –"

"Why the hell did you break up with Galinda?"

"It was a pretty mutual breakup."

_"Fiyero."_

"What do you want me to say, Elphaba?"

"I already told you that you can't have feelings for me."

"I think I made my feelings pretty clear when I –"

"When you kissed me. I know. Which you shouldn't have done in the first place."

"Tell me you didn't enjoy it."

Elphaba was silent.

"You can't because you did. I know."

"But that doesn't mean anything. I already told you, Fiyero. I'll only end up hurting you. And you'll –"

"I won't hurt you, Fae. You can trust me."

"You can't promise me that."

"And you can't promise me that I'll end up hurt. I love you."

"I guess now you'll tell me it was love at first sight or something equally as stupidly sappy."

"It really wasn't, because I'm pretty sure insulted me."

"So when did you realize it?"

"When we were at the ballet, and I saw you face light up in pure wonder as you watched the stage."

Elphaba turned away. "You should –"

"Don't say it. If your whole point is that I should go back to Galinda, it's not going to work. Elphaba, if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't feel that spark, I'll never bother you again. I can't go back to Galinda, but I won't bother you anymore. Look me in the eyes and say it, Fae. Say it and I'll go away."

Elphaba slowly met the prince's gaze. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She tried to force it, but still, silence. She felt her eyes begin to water and the tears slowly slid down her cheek.

Fiyero waited patiently before gently pulling the green girl into a gentle hug. "Fae…"

"I… can't."

"I understand what I'm asking of you, Fae. I understand that you've been through a lot, and that this is new to you, but all I'm asking for is a chance. Do you trust me?"

Elphaba lifted her gaze to meet his. "Yes."

"Can we do this together?"

"… Yes."

This kiss was much gentler than the first. For a moment, all Elphaba's cares and worries melted away. She could do this. She and Fiyero could do this together.

"I should get back to work," she whispered when they pulled away.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me you stayed with me in the infirmary?"

"It never came up."

"It came up with Galinda."

"Fair point."

"And?"

"It didn't come up with you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "That's a weak excuse."

"It's the truth. And how do you work that into a conversation?"

"I'm sure you could have thought of something."

"Usually I'm good at switching conversation topics and tactics. I don't know what happened here."

Elphaba chuckled softly. "I should really get back to work now. There are probably students at the front desk waiting to check out books."

"And I should probably finish looking for that book for our archival theory class."

"The one on infamous figures? I checked out the last copy this morning."

"Then I guess we'll have to have a study session together."

Elphaba looked back at him before hurriedly leaving with the cart. Fiyero couldn't seem to wipe the grin off his face, even as he left the library and belatedly realized he left his hat and scarf inside.

* * *

**Well, the official Fiyeraba only took 15 chapters. Y'all, I. Am. Exhausted! I know you must be, too, but we finally made it!**


	16. The Return

**Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay, but this story is back! There will be a few, probably around 3-5 more chapters before the conclusion. Happy reading!**

**fortunaflying: Thank you so much! I really appreciate your review!**

* * *

_"Fabala! Watch me! Watch me! Watch me!"_

_Elphaba couldn't help but watch, even though she knew what was going to happen. She opened her mouth to warn her little sister, but no sound came out. She tried to run towards her, but her feet were rooted to the spot. She heard the ice crack, and Nessa slowly fell through the ice with a deafening scream. As Nessa's head bobbed up and down, fighting to stay above the water, Elphaba's feet were finally freed and she ran onto the ice, which felt hard as rock._

_As she ran across the pond, the scene changed, she was now skating with Fiyero. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as he hugged her close. Then, a strong force pulled them apart and pulled Fiyero under the ice._

_"Yero!" Elphaba screamed, her face contorting in horror as Fiyero pounded on the ice._

_Their eyes locked for a clock-tick before Fiyero's closed and he slowly disappeared to the bottom of the pond, his arms and legs stretched out to her as he sunk._

_"No! Yero!"_

_"This is your fault."_

_She turned at the voice. "Father… no. I… It's not… I didn't mean to –"_

_"Had you not been born, everything would be fine. Your mother would still be alive! So would my precious Nessarose!"_

_"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

_"Your apologies are useless. _You_ are useless. Nothing you say or do will ever make this right."_

_Elphaba turned away from her father, and came face-to-face with Fiyero and Galinda._

_"I love you, Fifi," the blonde giggled, snuggling closer to him and creeping her hands around his neck. "We're so perfect together."_

_"I love you, too, Glin," the prince smiled, capturing her lips in a long kiss. "We deserve each other."_

_"He doesn't love you," a disembodied voice said. It surrounded her, and she was unable to tell where it was coming from. "No one could ever love a wicked witch. And that's what you are. A wicked witch."_

_"I am not wicked!" Elphaba argued, her breathing labored._

_"You are. You're a distorted, repulsive excuse for a person. A waste of space. You should be the one in the cold, hard ground. Not your mother and sister. They don't deserve it. You do."_

_The green girl fell to her knees and covered her ears. "I am not! I am not!"_

_"Elphaba."_

_She looked up. "Fiyero…"_

_He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry."_

_"Yero, I –"_

_"I don't know what I was thinking before. I don't know what came over me."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"When I said I loved you. I don't know what came over me. But now that I'm back to normal, I'm going back to Galinda. You were right. Galinda and I belong together."_

_"Fiyero, you said –"_

_"I know what I said. But that doesn't mean I meant it."_

_"You promised me –"_

_"Promises can be broken. I thought you would be used to that."_

_Elphaba reached out and grabbed his hand, but as soon as she did, he met her pleading eyes with a look of pure disgust and hate. "Yero –"_

_"Get away from me!" he shouted, recoiling and marching away before she could answer._

_"Fiyero! FIYERO!"_

Elphaba shot up, disoriented as pain shot up from her back to her neck. She looked around, realizing that she had fallen asleep in the library. She glanced at the clock and quickly packed her belongings and hurried back to Crage Hall.

Galinda was sitting on her bed, painting her toenails. She looked up as the door opened, but frowned at her roommate's expression. "Miss Elphaba, is everything alright?"

"Yes," Elphaba breathed, still trying to calm down.

Galinda softened and slid off her bed, walking on her heels to her desk and retrieved a brown box. She opened it, the smell of white fudge cookies filling her nose and walked back to the green girl. "Here."

Elphaba looked up.

"You're upset. And cookies worked last time. But don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to tell me another secret. I just want you to have one."

Elphaba stared at the box before slowly reaching for a cookie. "Thank you," she whispered.

The blonde smiled as she returned the box to her desk and went back to her bed, pulling out a magazine and flipping through it. Elphaba ate the cookie, the question she wanted to ask Galinda bubbling on the tip of her tongue.

"Miss Galinda?"

The blonde looked up.

"Fiyero wants to take me out to The Return tonight, but I –"

"The Return? Isn't that the very fancy restaurant on the other side of town?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Is this a date?"

She bit her lip. "I… believe so."

The blonde beamed. "You're very first date ever?"

Elphaba gave her a look.

"What are you wearing?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you."

"Wise decision," Galinda said, checking to see if her nail polish was dry, which it was, before hopping off her bed. She flounced over to Elphaba's closet and threw it open, her eyes widening as she only laid eyes on uniforms and casual black and navy dresses. "Okay. I see we have an awfully long way to go. And only a few hours to do it."

"What are you –"

"I've decided to make you my new project and give you a makeover!"

"You really don't have to do that."

"I know, but I would like to. That's what makes me so nice. And Elphie –" She perked up. "Is it alright if I call you 'Elphie'?"

"Uh… it's a little perky." It was _very_ perky.

"And you can call me 'Galinda', Miss Elphie!" Galinda exclaimed gaily.

"Please don't call me that."

"But I have to. How else will people know that we're friends now?"

Elphaba gaped at her. "Friends?"

Galinda slowed. "Yes. Friends."

"You want to be friends with the green freak?"

Galinda winced. "No, I want to be friends with Elphaba Thropp." She immediately went to work, getting out her supplies. She brushed her roommate's hair, allowing her fingers to run through the long tresses. "You have beautiful hair."

"Thank you."

"Why do you always wear it in that braid?"

"It's easier to manage."

"You should wear it out more."

"It's harder to manage and it gets in my face."

Galinda stopped brushing and ran to her vanity. She returned with a pink rose hairclip and fixed it into Elphaba's hair. "Pink goes good with green. And now, your hair won't get in your face," she giggled, starting on the makeup. Once she finished, she grabbed her mirror. "Why, Miss Elphie, look at you. You're beautiful."

Elphaba gently took the mirror and held it up. She bit her lip, not fully sure what she would see, but slowly relaxed as she looked at her reflection. Galinda had given her a light blush, eyeliner, and lip gloss. A smile slowly spread across her face and she chuckled softly. She looked back at the blonde and her smile faded. "Are you alright with this?"

"With my work? Of course I am."

"No, I mean, with me going out with Fiyero."

"Yes, I'm fine," Galinda said, aware that Elphaba was searching her face for the lie. "We decided that we're still going to be friends. We've both moved on."

"Oh."

Galinda moved over to her roommate's closet to do a second search for a dress. She reached in the back and pulled out the dress Elphaba wore to the ballet. "What about this?"

"That's what I wore to the theater."

"Well, I don't normally recommend wearing clothes twice in such a close time span, but I suppose I can make an exception for this. When is he coming to pick you up?"

"I'm meeting him downstairs."

The blonde had a feeling she knew why, so she didn't ask any more questions about it. Instead, she handed Elphaba the dress and practically pushed her into the bathroom.

"Wow," the blonde whispered when Elphaba came out, her mouth slightly agape. "You look… very pretty, Elphie."

"Thanks," Elphaba blushed, grabbing her sweater.

March was making its presence known, but it still wasn't warm enough to go out without an extra layer. She moved away, but stopped in the doorway. She turned and her lips twitched. "Thank you, Galinda."

Galinda wiggled her fingers in a wave and watched as her roommate left. In all honesty, she didn't expect to feel as content as she did with the fact that her roommate was dating her ex-boyfriend. But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. It just meant that the hurt was dull enough for her to push through. And she was happy for Elphaba. She really was.

Fiyero shifted his weight as he waited at the base of the stairs. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He supposed it was because this was their first "official" date.

"Hi."

He looked up and a smile spread across his face as Elphaba came down the stairs. "Hi. You look nice."

"Thank you."

"I recognize that dress."

"It's the one I wore Lurlinemas Eve… to the theater."

"I know."

The two stared at each other, neither saying anything until Fiyero awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Should we… go?" He didn't plan for it to sound that weird… but it did.

Elphaba brushed her hair away from her face and nodded, taking Fiyero's arm and walking with him to the waiting taxi.

The ride was relatively short for a trip across town. The couple made small talk, but a real conversation didn't stick.

"This makes you feel awkward, doesn't it?" Fiyero asked once they were seated at their table.

Elphaba glanced up from her menu. "Do _you_ feel awkward?"

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Fae, you're evading my questions by answering my questions with your own questions."

She closed the booklet. "A bit."

"Why?"

"Because part of me still says you should be with Galinda."

"Elphaba –"

"But the other part really likes you and wants to have a good time."

"Let's listen to that part."

The waiter came to get their food and drink orders, but not without staring at Elphaba for a bit longer than Fiyero was comfortable with. He was able to rectify it with a subtle, yet hard look, but Elphaba noticed regardless.

"I saw that."

"What do you think of Dr. Targeious?"

"Fiyero –"

He looked up at her, flashing her a significant look.

Elphaba sighed, conceding. "She terrifies me."

"Really? You don't show it."

"Of course not. I can't. She clearly preys on the students' fear of her. To be honest, I considered dropping the course."

"You? Dropping a course?"

"I know it sounds crazy," she chuckled. "If the class wasn't a requirement, I definitely wouldn't be taking it. I'm not much of a philosophy person, but the subject isn't boring."

"I'm glad one of us thinks so."

"And I can respect her for living up to her nickname."

"I swear, that woman definitely eats nails like popcorn."

Elphaba gave him a full-on laugh as their food came. The prince smiled, glad that the Elphaba he got to know over Lurlinemas break wasn't completely gone from him.

"Your hairclip –"

"It's Galinda's."

The prince paused, his forkful of mashed potatoes halfway to his mouth. "You and Glin are getting along now?"

"I suppose you could say that. She helped me get ready and didn't make me look like a complete fool, so…"

"I'm… glad you two are beginning to see eye-to-eye. She really is a good friend. And she's not as surface-level as she pretends to be. She just... cares too much about what other people think sometimes. But she has a good heart."

Elphaba nodded, remembering that night she came back from the infirmary, and the chocolate chip cookies, and the special moment they had telling their secrets to each other. "I guess… not everyone is who they seem at first."

"I guess so."

"She even gave me a nickname."

The prince laughed. "What horrendously perky nickname has she bestowed upon you?"

"Elphie."

"At least yours suits you. Whenever she calls me 'Fifi', I think she's calling a pet pink poodle. And I have no doubt Galinda has – at some point in her life, if not right now – owned a pink poodle."

They continued their conversation through bites of their food. The taxi home was quiet, with Elphaba resting comfortably against Fiyero's side.

"I had fun," Fiyero whispered, breaking their silence.

"I did, too. Thank you."

"Thank _you_."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For giving me a chance. For not pushing me away – I know half of you wanted to. And for –" He was cut off by Elphaba gently pressing her lips against his.

"That?" she whispered, gently pulling away.

"Yes… that."

Fiyero dropped her off in front of Crage Hall, with one final kiss before going back to his own dorm. As soon as she unlocked the door and pushed it open, Galinda was practically on top of her, demanding details of the date.

Elphaba sighed. She was really going to have to get used to this "friendship" thing.


	17. Party Animal

**Changed for Good: I don't really have a favorite cast, but my fav Elphies are Willemijn and Jessica Vosk. I've read the book multiple times, and it's one of my favorites.**

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No, Glin."

"Pretty, pretty, _pretty_ plea-"

"The number of 'pretties' in front of the 'please' won't increase the chances of me saying yes."

"Everyone is coming."

"That just _decreased_ the chances of me saying yes, which weren't high to begin with." Elphaba took off her glasses and rubbed her temple. It was clear that her roommate wasn't going to leave her alone, even after almost an hour of pestering her. "I don't like parties," she frowned, sliding her glasses back onto her face.

"How would you know? You've never been to one. You told me yourself."

"Because I don't like them."

"But Fifi would go with you and you would have fun."

"I would have even more fun not going."

The blonde pouted. She just _had_ to get Elphaba to come to her birthday celebration at The Byward Angel, a fancy restaurant just off-campus. Her birthday wasn't until the summer months, but she wanted to have a celebration with all of her friends. "But it's my _birthday_."

"Your birthday's in July."

"Please? It would mean so much to me! Plus, this will officially be the last social event of the semester."

Elphaba finished her last math problem and closed her textbook. "Why is that so important?"

"Because it is!" Galinda pouted. "It's my birthday, Elphie. _Please_?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "If it will get you off my back, I'll go."

Galinda pushed her lip out even more. "That's not what you're supposed to say when someone invites you to their birthday party."

"I would hardly call this an invite. You threatened to enchant my side of the room so it always rains lavender rose petals."

"A threat I am fully prepared to follow through."

Elphaba worked her jaw.

"I promise I won't ask you to come to any more parties."

"Ever."

"This semester."

"The semester is almost over."

"Exactly."

The green girl sighed. If this was going to be Galinda's party, it was bound to be over-the-top, frilly, pink, and sparkly, just like the blonde, and throwing presents and cake into the mix would just add to the chaos. The idea of having to experience Galinda on a sugar rush didn't appeal to her. "Alright. I'll come," she found her mouth saying before her brain gave its consent.

The blonde squealed and wrapped her roommate in a tight hug. "Thank you, Elphie!"

Elphaba awkwardly patted her friend's shoulder. "Alright. Now, may I please get back to studying now?"

Galinda, having got what she wanted, happily complied with Elphaba's wishes and retreated to her bed with a magazine.

* * *

Elphaba fumbled with her room key, trying to find the keyhole in the darkened hallway. Whether it was late at night or early in the morning, she had no idea. All she knew was that if she didn't get to bed as soon as possible, someone was going to get turned into a fruit fly.

_"Ooooooooh, Elphiiiiiiiieeeeee!"_

And she knew exactly who that "someone" was. Elphaba grimaced as the blonde flung herself on top of her, looping her arms around her neck. "Oz, Glin, get off!"

"Didn't you just have _soooooo_ much fun tonight?"

"You had way too much to drink."

"And you didn't have enough to drink!"

"For Oz sake, Fiyero, help me out!"

"I am helping! By staying back here, out of the way!" came the prince's voice from around the corner. "Trust me, you _don't_ want me involved. I'll end up hindering instead of helping."

Elphaba muttered under her breath, still fumbling with the key. She was beginning to regret every life decision that brought her to this moment. She finally managed to unlock the door and practically fell into the room. She flipped on the light switch and turned, yelping loudly when she found the blonde's face a bit too close to hers for comfort.

"Dance with me, Elphie!" Galinda giggled, placing her hands on Elphaba's waist and swaying dramatically, threatening to fall over.

Thankfully, Elphaba caught her before she did and easily carried her over to her bed. She unceremoniously plopped the blonde down, eliciting a gasp from the doorway.

"Be careful!" Fiyero warned, having finally come over, but not entering the room.

"She's fine. She has all these pillows."

"Yeah, I'll have more cake," Galinda slurred before falling asleep with a loud snore.

"Thank Oz, she's done," Elphaba sighed, collapsing onto her own bed. "Thanks for your help, Yero."

He ignored the sarcasm. "Now that my gentlemanly duties are discharged, I will see you both tomorrow," he nodded, giving Elphaba a salute.

"Wait! You can't just leave me here with her like this!"

"She's sleeping. She's harmless."

"I don't know how to take care of a drunk person. What if she wakes up?"

"Trust me, she won't. She'll be out until at least eleven tomorrow morning, if not noon."

The blonde let out a loud snore and rolled onto her stomach, snuggling deeper into the pillows. Elphaba glanced over at her, then back at Fiyero. "Please stay."

"I mean… if no one tells Morrible, I suppose I could stay for a bit. Plus, someone needs to make sure you don't turn Galinda into a gnat."

The two settled on Elphaba's bed, sitting on top of her simple comforter. They talked for a bit, and Fiyero was somehow convinced to study. Well… Elphaba read a chapter of their philosophy textbook, making it sound like a bedtime story. His head was resting comfortably in her lap. Surprisingly, when Elphaba questioned him on what she just read, the prince had been able to retain a lot of information.

"Your voice is much more engaging than Tough-As-Nails'," the prince admitted. "And you're much prettier." He sat up. "I have a feeling you wanted me to stay for more reason than just making sure you don't turn Galinda into something squashable."

"Maybe I enjoy your company."

Fiyero perked up. "You enjoy my company?"

"I said 'maybe'."

He pouted, then chuckled. "I like your company, too."

They talked a bit more, and as the conversation died down, Fiyero made to leave, but a half-asleep Elphaba pulled him back.

"No… go," she muttered, cracking open one eye.

Too tired to argue, Fiyero climbed back into the bed. Elphaba immediately snuggled closer to him. The prince responded with a light kiss to her forehead before drifting back to sleep.

The next morning, Galinda awoke with a loud groan. She tried to open her eyes, but her pounding headache forced her to rethink that decision.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," came Elphaba's voice somewhere to her left.

"Elphie, please don't shout."

"I didn't shout."

"Then don't."

The green girl rolled her eyes and gently helped the blonde sit up. "Here," she said, handing her a mug of dark liquid.

The blonde took a sip without question, then immediately regretted it. "Great Oz!" she cried, spitting it out, her taste buds on full alert. "What in Lurline's name is _this_?!"

"Coffee," Elphaba answered simply, sitting next to her on the bed. "It's to help with your headache."

The blonde took a closer look at the mug. "This doesn't look like coffee."

"Glin, it's pure, Gillikin coffee."

Galinda took another small sip and grimaced. "It doesn't taste like… wait, there no cream or sug- this is _black coffee_, Elphaba!"

"Yes. You're lucky. Munchkin coffee is much stronger. It would have knocked you right out of bed."

"I've never had just straight-up coffee without sweeter before."

"I _never_ would have noticed."

The blonde made a face. "Do I… want to know how crazy last night was?"

"Let's put it this way; I didn't turn you into a gnat."

She offered her friend a small smile. "Yeah. I'm a party animal. I can get a bit carried away."

"A bit?" Elphaba repeated incredulously, but with a twinkle in her eye. "In all honesty, your party… wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

She knew that was high praise, coming from her usually stoic roommate-turned-friend. "I'm glad you had an enjoyable time at your very first party." She slowly slid closer to the green girl. "You spent your very first party with your very first bestest friend and boyfriend? That's so romantisifying!"

Elphaba was about to comment that 'romantisifying' wasn't a word, but Galinda wrapped her in a tight hug before she was able to. She slowly relaxed and returned the kind gesture, making the blonde smile even more.

"You give really good hugs," Galinda smiled, moving to rest her head in Elphaba's lap.

Elphaba absentmindedly began to run her fingers through Galinda's hair, combing through the untamed curls. "Nessa and I used to sit like this all the time. We would go outside and lay down in the grass, surrounded by flowers. She would always ask me to braid the flowers into her hair, but then Father would make her take them out because it made her hair dirty. But she kept asking me to do it, so it became our special time together."

"I've never sat like this with anyone," Galinda whispered. "It… feels nice."

"Yeah. It does. But we should probably get ready."

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven."

"Didn't you have a class this morning?"

"Professor Lexu is sick, so she canceled class and told us to just study for the final. My shift at the library doesn't start for another hour. And you should finish that coffee."

"It's bitter."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but took the cup from the blonde and finished the drink in a few gulps. There was no use letting perfectly good coffee go to waste.

Galinda got out of bed, her head feeling much better, showered and got ready for the rest of the day. "Did Fiyero stay over last night?"

Elphaba gaped at her. "What makes you ask that?"

"You don't smell his cologne?"

Once she mentioned it, she realized that her roommate was right. "Yes. He did."

"Oh. Okay."

"You're not… upset?"

"Why would I be upset? Fifi's with you now and I've moved on. I just never realized how his scent can permeate a room." She paused, then added, "And I didn't wake up to you two doing anything that would require your own room, so you're fine."

"We didn't do anything. We just talked."

"Ooh! About what?"

"Stuff."

"What stuff, Elphie? Come on! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"

"Our summer plans."

"Elphaba, you know I'm going to keep asking questions until you stop being so vague."

"I'm staying with Fiyero over the summer break," Elphaba blurted.

Galinda stared at her, her mouth agape, as she processed that sentence. "That's all you talked about?" she finally said.

"No, but that's what we ended on. I told him that my plan was to go back to Munchkinland and avoid my father as much as humanly possible. Apparently, the thought of me being by myself for three months terrified him, so he invited me to stay with him. I told him –"

"That it's a bad idea and that his parents don't know you and they might not like you, but only for your green skin, but Fiyero convinced you that wasn't going to happen and it took some time, but you finally believed him and accepted his invitation."

Elphaba blinked, wondering how Galinda managed to say all that on one breath. "You heard us?"

"Honestly, I don't remember hearing you, but apparently, my brain did," Galinda shrugged. "My drunken brain remembers the most random things."

"Well, now you don't need me to tell you what happened, since you just told me."

"Elphie, I still want you to tell me. It's more fun to have a conversation. Plus, I just gave you a basic summary. I need you to give me word-for-word details."

"I'll tell you everything later this evening. I have to get to the library."

Galinda pouted. "Ugh. Fine. So that took up most of your conversation."

"Yes."

"And you two didn't…" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Elphaba walked out without another word, hearing the blonde's loud laughter as she hurried down the hallway.

* * *

**Three more chapters!**


	18. Rebel

**Hi! Yes, I know it's been a few months without an update to this story, but I've finally managed to get a chapter done. This story is almost done and I will see it through.**

* * *

Fiyero hurried up the library steps, careful not to spill the cup of tea he was carrying. He could feel the heat seeping through the cup, and the last thing he wanted was to spill the hot liquid all over the back of his hand. Finally, he reached the top floor and made his way to the stacks. He weaved through the tall, looming bookshelves, making his way to the back corner.

Elphaba sat at a large table, her textbooks, notebooks, and loose papers scattered everywhere. Her hair was in a messy bun – Fiyero was convinced it was held in place by the pencils sticking through it – and her glasses balanced precariously on the tip of her nose as she studied her notes and compared them to the textbooks. Wordlessly, he set the tea down next to her and kissed her forehead.

She didn't acknowledge his presence. And honestly, he didn't expect her to. This was the third and final day of the study week for final exams, and this had become a routine for the couple. Elphaba would spend literally all day in the library, only leaving when Fiyero came to get her at closing.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked, hoping for at least a hum to signal that she heard him.

He got nothing. He pulled out a ham and cheese sandwich from his bag and placed it next to the tea. He softly kissed the top of her head before leaving, hoping that sandwich and tea would be finished by the time he came back.

Five hours later, right before the library was about to signal its closing, Fiyero returned to the stacks. He found Elphaba exactly how he left her, only looking much more exhausted. But much to his pleasant surprise, the sandwich and tea were gone. He only hoped that she had actually eaten it, instead of throwing it away.

"Fae?" he whispered, trying not to startle her. "Library's closing now."

It took a while for Elphaba's glazed over gaze to orient on her boyfriend. "Huh… Yero?"

"It's time to go now."

She moaned and closed her eyes. Fiyero went to work clearing the table, making sure he organized everything the way Elphaba liked.

"Come on, Fae," he urged, gently nudging Elphaba awake.

She sleepily rose to her feet and lazily reached for her bag. Instead, Fiyero offered her his arm and led her down the stairs. By the time they reached the bottom, she was awake enough to walk on her own.

"Can we go to your room?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Why mine?"

"My room is occupied with Galinda's 'girls' relaxing night'."

Now that Galinda had found two new (and better, in the blonde's opinion) friends to replace Pfannee and ShenShen, she had them over as much possible. The new (and better) friends weren't crazy about Elphaba, but weren't outright mean to her and didn't fit the description of wanting to push her into Suicide Canal. And Elphaba wasn't pushing her way to the front of the line to hang out with them, either.

"Fair enough."

"As long as my things remain undisturbed, my roommate can do whatever she wants."

The prince led the way to the boys' dorms. Once they got to his room, he immediately headed for the drawer he had designated for Elphaba's spare clothes. He didn't want to keep offering her his spare t-shirts and shorts, and at first, Elphaba had protested, saying that he didn't have to clean out an entire drawer just for her, and that whenever she came, she would bring her own pajamas and change of clothes. Fiyero had pointedly argued that most of her visits, especially her overnight visits, were unplanned. She didn't have a counterargument for that.

"What final do you have tomorrow?" he asked as she settled in.

"Accounting in the morning and Ancient Ixian Art after lunch."

"So you have a full day?"

"I do. What about you?"

"Just Vinkun history."

"Isn't that your specialty?"

"Yeah… you'd think."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Have you studied?"

"You'd think."

_"Yero."_

He smirked. "Don't need to. I've got this in the bag."

"Yeah, at the very bottom, underneath all your crumpled-up notes."

The prince made a face.

Elphaba chuckled. "I know you'll do very well," she grinned, kissing his pouting lips. She went into the bathroom and changed into her nightclothes. When she came out, Fiyero had pulled out the bed from the couch and fixed it with his softest blanket and fluffiest pillow. She settled down and busied herself with taking out her braid. She felt Fiyero's gentle hands stop her and take over.

"Why don't you wear your hair down?" he asked in a borderline whine.

"I've told you, it gets too tangled. It's easier to keep it up." She felt him run his fingers through her locks. "Why aren't you using my brush?"

"Because this is more fun."

"It won't get the tangles out."

"But your hair is so soft." He buried his face in her hair and Elphaba pulled away with a laugh. "How do you make your hair so soft?"

"Munchkin rosewood oil. Nessa loved it, and would beg me to use it in her hair. She had thick hair, so I would have to use most of it on her, leaving barely enough for myself. I secretly bought some before I came to Shiz." She smiled sadly. "My mother had soft hair, too. She would brush her hair every night until it shone in the moonlight, and then do the same to mine." She got a faraway look in her eyes and closed off.

"Does… does it hurt to talk about them? Your mother and Nessarose, I mean."

"Not with you." She turned and smiled. "You're… the first person I've ever opened up to like this, other than Galinda. But… she doesn't know everything."

"And I do?"

"You know… more than she does. I've come to terms with my mother and Nessa. I like to imagine that they're together somewhere, happy."

"I think they are."

Her lips twitched. Fiyero took this opportunity to resume playing with her hair. He admired the way her hair flowed down her back in softly curled ringlets from her tight braid.

"How much does your family know about me?" Elphaba asked suddenly.

"They know you're a beautiful, intelligent young woman who helped get me on the right path. They know I invited you to see the Lurlinemas ballet and that we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Do they know I'm green?"

He waved it away. "Minor details."

"No, Fiyero. It's a _major_ detail."

"Fae, my parents love you. They won't care about your verdigris."

"You should have warned them." She pulled away with a frown and turned to him. "How could you be so –"

"Elphaba, of course I told them, but I didn't make a big deal out of it and neither did they. I knew it wouldn't be fair to have your skin precede you. You're a wonderful woman who happens to have green skin. And a beautiful shade, might I add." He ignored the sideways glare and continued. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about. And while we're on the subject, how much does your father know about me?"

"My father knows absolutely nothing about you. And even if he did, I doubt he would care."

He frowned. "Oh."

"Don't be surprised. I haven't written to him since I told him I was staying on campus for Lurlinemas."

"Wait… so he still thinks you're going home for the summer?"

"I doubt it. He doesn't care where I go, whether it's home or somewhere else."

"Won't he send a coach for you?"

"No."

"Then how does he expect you to –"

"He… he likes to take away things that make me happy. What he doesn't know won't hurt me."

His knowledge of Elphaba's relationship with her father stopped him from asking the questions on the tip of his tongue. He conceded on the topics of her family and her hair, doing his best to braid it. It ended up messier than he intended, and Elphaba gave him a playful smirk as she redid it. She moved to the desk and began unpacking her books.

"We should get some sleep before our exams tomorrow," Fiyero suggested, trying to pull her out of the chair. "You've done enough studying today. You're prepared."

"I was in the middle of the Ixian abstract art period when you –"

"No. You need to sleep. There's no use studying more if you're gonna fall asleep during the exam. We both need our rest."

Elphaba tried to wave him away, but he was persistent and eventually succeeded in pulling her up and guiding her back to the bed. She slipped under the blanket under his watchful gaze and was asleep shortly after her head hit the pillow.

Fiyero busied himself with backing up her books and getting himself ready for bed. He shimmied under his covers more gracefully than Elphaba had and relaxed against the softness of his bed. Elphaba's words haunted his mind.

_He likes to take away things that make me happy. What he doesn't know won't hurt me._

On one hand, he made Elphaba happy, which he was proud of. On the other, she saw him as something that could be taken away from her, something he wasn't so proud of. He didn't know why he felt so honored to be considered so special to Elphaba that she didn't want to tell her father, at the risk of them being separated somehow.

But there was nothing he could do about that. That was between Elphaba and her father. The only thing he could do was make sure she had an enjoyable summer vacation.

* * *

"I am exhausted. I am emotionally drained. My brain feels like mush, my feet are tired, but at least we're finally done!"

The last exam of the term had just finished, releasing the students and faculty for the summer. Galinda groaned as she dragged her feet out of the building, her hair clinging to the beads of sweat across her forehead.

"Tough-As-Nails was not playing around with that seven-page essay," Fiyero huffed. "I'm so glad we're finished with her."

"I'm glad the year is over and we all made it out alive and in one piece," Galinda smiled, linking arms with Elphaba, more to help balance herself than a sign of their friendship.

Elphaba accepted the gesture regardless. "This is just our first year. We still have three more to go."

"Elphie, don't ruin this," Galinda scowled, and the green girl cackled. "This was the toughest first year in the history of tough first years."

"I'll drink to that!" Fiyero chimed, wrapping his arm around Elphaba's waist.

"That's a great idea! Let's all get drinks tonight! It's our last night together before we leave."

Elphaba frowned. "I have a lot of packing to do."

"You can fit everything you have in four suitcases, three if you cram," Galinda said, giving her a 'Don't even try it' glance, not wanting to hear any of her arguments. "None of your excuses, Miss Elphaba. You have to come with us. We can go to The Lonely Lady Bar right off-campus. After all that hard work, we deserve a drink."

Knowing that she didn't have much of a choice, seeing as both her boyfriend and best friend were ganging up on her, she conceded. It's not like her protests would have made a difference, knowing her roommate would drag her out of the room regardless, even kicking and screaming.

The blonde insisted that they dress up, which made Elphaba not want to go even more. She didn't understand why they had to get all dressed up, especially when those clothes should be in a suitcase and not on their bodies.

"It's part of the fun, Elphaba." She realized that her friend most likely never had a night out like that. She didn't drink at the party, and she doubted she drank with Fiyero during their Lurlinemas together. Regardless, she sent her friend into the bathroom with a dress they could both agree on, a dark blue dress with a low v neck and pencil skirt. The V-neck was a bit lower than Elphaba would have liked, but Galinda wouldn't allow her to leave the room wearing anything else.

When she came out, she twisted the front sections of her hair and clipped them back into a bun behind her head. Her hair flowed in large waves down her back, a perfect combination of her wanting her hair out of her face and Fiyero wanting it down. She slipped on her flats and pulled out a book as she waited for Galinda to finish curling her hair.

The prince met them outside Crage Hall, his eyes on Elphaba as soon as she exited the building. "You look beautiful," he grinned.

"Thank you. You have no idea how long it took me to get these curls just right," Galinda giggled, tossing her curls over her shoulder, knowing full well that he was talking to Elphaba.

The green girl rolled her eyes, but returned the smile. "Thank you. You look handsome."

"Oh, this? This is just a little something I threw together."

"Yes, yes, we're all beautiful. Let's go!" Galinda called, grabbing both her friends by the arms and dragging them forward to the bar.

Elphaba stumbled to keep up, but eventually found her footing. Fiyero, having dated the perky girl in the middle, had mastered the art of keeping up with her speed walking. But he still wondered how she managed to do it in heels, all without rolling her ankle or tripping.

Once they got to the bar, they claimed a table by the window and glanced over the menu. Galinda knew what she wanted immediately, pointing to the large picture on the second page.

"A Munchkin Marsizo? Glin, that'll have you sprawled out on the floor," Elphaba interjected.

"But it's pink with sparkly stars on the glass. How bad could it be?"

"Bad enough to knock you out so quick you'll only see sparkly stars. I've already dragged you back to our room once. I'm not doing it again."

Galinda rolled her eyes, but wisely ordered something less strong. Once all their food and drink orders were taken, they divulged their summer plans. "Momsie and Popsicle host a bunch of society parties, so I'll be pretty busy with those," she smiled. "Those parties are always crawling with eligible bachelors, all looking for bachelorettes. It's also horseracing season, so we'll be busy training the horses."

"Oh, right. I forgot your family breeds horses," Fiyero said.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah. And it's been a while since I've taken Appy out for a ride. I miss her."

"Appy's her horse," Fiyero filled in when he noticed Elphaba's confused look.

"I didn't know you ride horses," Elphaba blinked.

"Not many of my friends were interested, so I mostly kept it to myself. Looking back, they weren't interested in a lot of things I liked." She made a face. "I always made an effort for them, but they never returned the favor. I wish I could have –" She stopped. "Oh, look at me, already divulging old truths before the alcohol arrives."

"Well, Fae and I are going to have a wonderful time," the prince said, glancing at his girlfriend. "And my family is going to love her."

Elphaba blushed. "I wish I had your confidence."

"I wish you did, too. I've told you before, you're a wonderful girl."

Elphaba didn't get a chance to respond, since their food and drinks came. They ate and talked some more, reminiscing on their semester and discussing the classes they were about to take.

"Elphie… isn't that your... fourth drink?" Galinda blinked as Elphaba finished off the glass.

"Yes," Elphaba nodded, setting the empty glass down.

"And… you don't feel… weird?"

"Should I?"

"You're not tipsy?"

She shook her head.

The Vinkun prince was stunned. "Wow. You really can hold your liquor."

"I told Galinda that Munchkin coffee is very strong. The same applies to alcohol. Munchkins are known for being able to hold it. These drinks are much weaker."

"That explains _so_ much," Fiyero whispered slowly, his face full of realization, though the girls didn't know what he was referring to. "I'm not much of a drinker. My dad let me have a glass of wine at a royal function when I was young. I hated it, but my mother nearly threw a fit when she found out. West Vinkun wine is very strong."

"My father never kept alcohol in the house, but I would sneak out… even before I was old enough to drink."

"You little rebel!" Galinda laughed.

"He never found out." Elphaba shrugged and dipped her chip in the dip, swirling it around a bit before popping it into her mouth. "Now you know I'm more than just a bookworm."

"I never said you were a bookworm," Fiyero protested with a pout.

"What else did rebel Elphie do?" Galinda asked, bouncing excitedly in her chair.

Elphaba motioned for her to calm down. "That's it, for the most part. I was just very sneaky with everything I did. I didn't want to risk my father finding out about anything, whether it was good or bad. Every time I was out, he probably thought I was in my room or something."

As the evening drew to a close, the group paid their bill and left. Galinda (thankfully) wasn't as drunk as before, which Elphaba was beyond grateful for. Fiyero walked the girls back to Crage Hall for the last time, smiling as he watched Elphaba caringly help Galinda up the stairs. The green girl looked back one last time, giving the prince a small wave before disappearing around the corner.

Oz, that girl never failed to astonish him.

* * *

**Two more chapters!**


	19. Pie

Fiyero huffed as he locked his last suitcase. He hadn't realized how much stuff he had accumulated over the year until he had to pack it all up. He looked around his bare suite. He did a final walkthrough to make sure he had everything. He started to feel a bit nostalgic, though he couldn't pinpoint why. He was happy to go home, if only for three months, and the best part was that Elphaba was going with him.

He couldn't wait to show her everything, from the Thousand Year Grasslands to the village shops. He loved his home and just wanted to share everything with his girlfriend.

He went to grab a luggage cart so he wouldn't have to make several trips. He filled it up with his belongings, and still had room left. He figured he would bring it to Crage Hall to help Elphaba bring her bags to the carriage, which was due to arrive soon.

He managed to transport the cart with minimal issues, but knew he wouldn't be able to get it up the stairs to the girls' room, so he simply left it next to the staircase and climbed up.

"It's open!" he heard Galinda's strained call to his knock.

He pushed the door open to find Elphaba sitting on one of Galinda's suitcases, her knees hugged up against her chest and her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Think heavy thoughts, Elphie!" Galinda commanded, struggling to get the clasp to lock.

"Get the other suitcase, Galinda!" Elphaba grunted, switching to her hands and knees. She lifted her gaze and bit back a laugh.

"Fiyero, don't just stand there! Don't you see us struggling to pack? Come in and help! And Elphie, I can't use the other suitcase. I can't have my shoes and dresses together. You know that!"

Elphaba groaned and Fiyero laughed as he came in and helped her close and lock the suitcase. "Is this your last one?" he asked, helping Elphaba to her feet.

"You'd think," she huffed, watching as Galinda pulled out her shoe suitcase. "Dear Oz, how many suitcases does she need? I'm all packed, though." She nodded to the three medium-sized suitcases in the corner.

"You only have three suitcases?"

She nodded again, but said nothing of her limited possessions.

"Fiyero, could you be a dear and see if they have any more luggage carts available?" Galinda called from the bathroom, where she was getting the last of her beauty supplies.

"I didn't see any when I came up."

For almost an hour, the three made multiple trips between the room and Fiyero's cart downstairs, with Galinda in his ear telling him to be careful with her bags. He helped Galinda load her bags into her coach, struggling under the weight of her dresses' trunk as he tried to lift it. Galinda gave both of them a long and teary goodbye, with promises to write and demanded Elphaba promise to write, in extensive detail, about everything she does with Fiyero in the Vinkus. Fiyero's wiggling eyebrow forced her to clarify what she meant and she smacked Fiyero's arm with a motherly warning to "be good". With that, she climbed into the coach, sticking her head out the window to wave until she was out of sight.

Packing into Fiyero's coach was much easier. The prince passed the suitcases up to the driver, who tied them down to the roof. Elphaba watched from the ground, smiling as Fiyero conversed with his driver in a language she didn't understand, most likely Arjiki.

"Ready?" he asked, extending his hand to her.

She blinked out of her trance and nodded, but didn't take his hand as she climbed into the coach. Fiyero stared at his extended hand, both in shock and confusion, before climbing in after her. As the carriage drove off, Elphaba stared back at Shiz until it was out of sight.

"You're nervous," Fiyero whispered, taking Elphaba's hand. He gently rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. "My parents will love you. So will Neima. You'll have a great time. I promise."

She nodded, but seemed preoccupied with her thoughts. Fiyero let the conversation drop, but held onto her hand.

They stopped in Kellswater to stretch their legs and give the horses a rest. Even though they had just crossed the border, Elphaba could see the Vinkun architecture in full effect. The tall buildings all had rounded roofs with small chimneys. She remembered learning that it was to keep the rain from pooling on the roof and leaking through.

Before they knew it, they approached Mount Marigoll and slowly made their way up. Elphaba stiffened when she realized how high they were going, and Fiyero squeezed her hand. She glanced at him and relaxed at his reassuring smile, but didn't return it.

"The mountain isn't as high as it looks. It's just an illusion, to give off the effect that it's watching over the entire Vinkus."

Just then, the castle came into view. Elphaba felt small looking up at the looming building that looked like it had stood for centuries. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of it.

There was a young woman waiting on the steps as they slowed to a stop. Her long, dirty-blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. She lifted her skirt as she ran down the stairs, with a high-pitched squeal of "Yero!"

The prince smiled as he opened the door and stepped down. He had just helped Elphaba down when the woman leaped into his arms with a loud giggle and content sigh.

"Hi, Neima." Fiyero wrapped his arms around her. "When did you get home?"

"I've been home all week. I've missed you, Yero."

"I've missed you, too. And I brought you something from Shiz."

"What is it?"

"I'll give you a hint; it's soft, fuzzy, and you're gonna want to put your feet in it."

Her face dropped and she wiggled out of his arms. "Oh dear, Fiyero, not another one of your cakes."

Fiyero made a face and Elphaba laughed, drawing Neima's attention to her.

"You must be Elphaba," she grinned. "Yero's told me so much about you. I'm Neima, his favorite and most adorable cousin."

"That's debatable."

It was Neima's turn to make a face. "But I must congratulate you on getting through his thick head and getting him to focus."

"Neima!" Fiyero hissed.

Elphaba simply smiled. "He had a harder time getting through my walls. Even after he saved my life."

"That's one of the bravest things Yero's ever done," Neima said, giving her cousin a gentle nudge.

Fiyero grinned. "Aww, thanks."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's also the stupidest." She realized how that sounded and quickly glanced over at Elphaba. "No offense, of course. I mean, I'm very glad he saved your life, but diving into freezing cold water without a second thought wasn't very smart."

"Believe it or not, I also thought the same thing," Elphaba said.

Before Neima had a chance to question that response, a voice from the doorway interrupted her. "Neima! Let Fiyero and Elphaba come inside. They must be exhausted from their journey and your questions aren't helping!"

"Yes, Auntie!" she called back, hurrying back up the stairs.

Fiyero gently wrapped his arm around Elphaba's waist and led her up the stairs. Once inside, they were immediately greeted by a woman in an ornate purple dress and her hair in an elegant bun, adorned with a silver tiara. The prince gently detached himself from his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around the older woman.

"Yero, I've missed you so much!" she cried.

"I've missed you too, Mother."

She gently pulled away and looked him over. "We haven't seen you since last summer. You've grown so much. But you look hungry. I'll ring for some snacks. You must be hungry after your long journey. How was it? Did you stop at the border?"

"We did," Fiyero chuckled, scrunching up his face as his mother pinched his cheek.

The queen turned to the green girl with a smile. "And it's wonderful to finally meet you, Elphaba. We've heard so much about you, all wonderful things, of course." She wrapped her in a tight, yet comforting hug.

Elphaba stiffened for a clock-tick, not expecting the warm hug, but slowly returned it.

"Come into the parlor, both of you. You must be exhausted." She ushered Elphaba into the room, closely followed by Fiyero and Neima.

"You have a beautiful home, Your Majesty," Elphaba said as she sat. Though the exterior of the castle looked scary and stiff, the inside was cozy and comfortable.

"Thank you, my dear. I'm sure Fiyero will give you the grand tour later."

"Where's Father?" Fiyero asked as his mother ran for some snacks.

"He's in a meeting with Moberin. They've been locked in his study for almost two hours."

As the family chatted and ate, Elphaba began to feel more at ease. It was clearly a different family dynamic than hers, and she was grateful for that. She loved how attentive the queen was to her son and niece, and how doting they all were to each other. And they brought her into it immediately. It made her feel like she was part of a real family, something she barely remembered feeling.

Right when the queen suggested that they go upstairs and rest before dinner, the king entered. "Raal, this is Elphaba," she smiled, wrapping an arm around the green girl.

The king's gaze lingered on Elphaba a bit too long for comfort, but he cleared his throat with a smile, though it looked a bit forced. "Welcome, Elphaba," he said in a kind tone.

Elphaba could see the queen giving her husband a warning look out the corner of her eye, but didn't comment on it as she returned the king's kind smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Elphaba and Fiyero were going to rest before dinner," the queen said. She turned back to them. "The servants should have brought up your belongings to your rooms."

Fiyero nodded and escorted Elphaba out of the parlor and up the stairs.

"The girl really is green, Amalie," she heard the king say in a not-so-quiet tone.

"Shh!" the queen admonished, then hissed something in a familiar-sounding tongue to what Fiyero said to the carriage driver.

She didn't look back, but could feel Fiyero stiffen and saw a frown slowly form on his face. She reached for Fiyero's hand. Thinking that she wanted comfort, he quickly collected her hands into his, but the look on her face told him it was more to reassure him that she was fine.

"Father's not trying to be insensitive," Fiyero said, stopping in front of Elphaba's room. "He's just –"

"I understand, Yero. Your family's already been so much nicer than I expected."

"You expected then to dislike you, even after I told you they wouldn't?"

"No, I just… expected them to react the way other's normally do. They… didn't stare or point. Your mother welcomed me with open arms despite just meeting me."

"That's the way my parents are, especially Mother. She's very affectionate. You'll be here all summer, Fae. They'll treat you like family."

Elphaba accepted the quick kiss and opened the door. "I'll… try," she whispered before slipping inside and closing the door.

Fiyero's lips curled. He knew it would take some getting used to for her, but she'll get there.

* * *

"I still don't know how you got the kitchen staff to allow you to do this."

"I promised to leave the kitchen exactly the way I found it, no starting fires over boiled water."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and grabbed an apron from the nearby hooks.

"So, what type of pie are we making?"

"A chocolate cinnamon pie."

The prince paused. "Wait… isn't that the –"

"The last pie I remember making with my mother? Yes, it is."

Fiyero softened. "I'm honored that you want to make it with me. But that also means that I have a high standard to live up to already."

"I know you'll be fine," she smiled, handing him an apron. "First, we'll need sugar, butter, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate powder…"

Fiyero grabbed as many ingredients as he could find and remember as Elphaba ratted them off.

"Cream, salt, nutmeg…"

He ran into the pantry to grab the bag of flour. He just didn't plan on it being half his size. He slowly reached up and gently guided the bag down, securely holding it in his arms. But he misjudged the distance between the pantry and the counter and accidentally dropped the bag, covering himself, a quarter of the kitchen, and Elphaba in the white powder.

Elphaba coughed as she took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. She blinked, her face unreadable as she stared at Fiyero, sprawled on the ground on top of the now-practically empty bag. He looked up at her, waiting for her reaction.

She burst into laughter.

The kind of hearty, belly laughter that made Fiyero's stomach to a flip. She bent over, clutching her stomach. She rarely laughed like that, a laugh that meant that she found whatever she was witnessing truly funny.

"You… ah… you look… s-so…" she managed to get in in between bouts of laughter. She couldn't finish her sentence; she was too busy trying to breathe. "You… look like a… human snowman!"

Fiyero smirked as he pushed himself up, salvaging as much flour as he could before gingerly placing the bag on the counter. He crossed over to her and scooped her into his arms. "No more of your laughter, Miss Fae," he said as Elphaba began to calm down, little giggles escaping every-so-often. "Next time, _you_ can get the flour."

"Next time?" Elphaba breathed. "That's assuming we survive _this_ time."

He returned her to his feet and looked around. "I think Madame Ladiae is going to kill both of us if she comes back down here and sees her kitchen looking like a winter wonderland, huh?" Silence answered him and he turned. "Fae?"

She had caught sight of herself in the mirror and was staring from her reflection to her pale hands. Knowing exactly what she was thinking, he gently pulled her away and turned her to face him.

"I prefer the green," he whispered, wiping flour from her face.

"I know you do," she nodded. "I don't know why you do, but you do."

"I leave you two alone for five minutes, and I come back to this place looking like a snowman sneezed in here!" a new voice called.

They both looked up to see Neima coming down the stairs, her confused expression slowly melting into a smirk. "Is something else other than baking going on in here."

Elphaba gently pushed away, her blush hidden by the layer of flour. Fiyero rolled his eyes and wiped his face. "Goodbye, Neima."

"Alright, but just remember, you should only be putting the pie in the oven, not any buns."

"_Goodbye_, Neima!"

The younger girl giggled and bounced back up the stairs. The two cleaned up as best they could before starting on their dessert. They started with the crust, mixing the flour, salt, and butter, turning it into dough with a few tablespoons of cold water. Fiyero's lips curling as Elphaba guided his hands, helping work the mixture into a proper dough consistency.

They moved to the filling, Fiyero listening attentively as Elphaba dictated the proper measurements right off the top of her head. They poured the filling into the formed crust, with Fiyero stealing a quick lick at the last moment. Elphaba rolled her eyes and did the same, her eyes fluttering closed as the sweet chocolate slid down her throat.

"How long do we have to bake it?" the prince asked as Elphaba carefully slid it into the oven.

"An hour." She looked around. "We should probably clean up a bit more."

They cleaned up as best they could, and eventually, they could see the floor again. By the time the pie was done, the kitchen was spotless and the young adults were exhausted.

"That smells wonderful," Fiyero grinned, grabbing a knife to grab a bite.

"Not yet. It has to cool."

He pouted. "How long will that take?"

The green girl kissed his pouting lips. "Not long. I promise. I was thinking we could share it after dinner tonight."

"I don't think Neima deserves any sugar after the way she teased us. She's a nutcase when she has sugar, so we shouldn't give her any sugar."

"I heard that!"

Fiyero groaned and lifted his gaze to the stairs. _"Why are you here?"_

"I came because I smelt pie. You know the smells from this kitchen permeate." She came over to examine their final product. "This looks wonderful, Elphaba."

"Um… I helped, too."

"Oh, you did? It doesn't look burnt."

"Yero did a wonderful job," Elphaba nodded.

Fiyero beamed. "I told you so. I put my foot in this."

Neima made a face. "I just hope it doesn't taste like feet."

"How would you know what a foot tastes like?"

She shrugged and made her way back upstairs.

"Don't let me find out you've been at college eating feet!" Fiyero called up the stairs, eliciting a loud laugh that could probably be heard throughout the entire castle.

* * *

**The next chapter is the final chapter!**


	20. Apology

"Wait, Elphaba ran onto the frozen lake to save a girl even though the ice was thin and she could have fallen through, too?" Neima asked slowly, just for clarification.

Fiyero made a face. "It was her sister."

"Well… that's understandable."

"Even though Elphaba's the smartest person I know, she does stuff like that because she doesn't always give her brain time to filter through her decisions."

"You did the same thing for her. Only you cannonballed into the freezing water."

"I know."

"I now see the similarities between you two."

Fiyero chuckled. "She's unlike any other girl I've ever met."

"She's the first one you brought home."

"There was the one time, we were in my room. She was staying the night because she didn't want to be subjected to one of Galinda's makeovers. I was laying down next to her, but not really next to her. My head was by her feet. Technically, she could have kicked me in the face. _Thankfully_, she didn't."

"So, you brought her home because she didn't kick you in the face?"

The prince rolled his eyes. "_No_, Neima. I mean… we feel comfortable with each other. I like being with her and she likes being with me. We're settled."

"Like an old, married couple?"

"Why is it impossible to have a heartfelt conversation with you?"

"I'm serious."

He considered it with a huff. "I don't know about marriage. She's still getting used to our relationship and the attention that comes with it."

"I'm not asking if you'd propose right this second, Yero."

"I've thought about it."

"You're thinking now?" a new voice chirped.

The two royals looked up as Elphaba entered, her lips curled in a slight smirk.

"Yero was just telling me how you're the smartest girl he's ever met. And I've chosen not to be offended by that statement," Neima quipped.

Elphaba sat on the sofa next to Fiyero and rested her head against his shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"

"How much I love you," Fiyero grinned, kissing the top of her head.

Elphaba blinked up at him and turned to Neima. "Is he always this bad of a liar at home?"

"Yes," Neima nodded. "Normally, I know he's lying before he even opens his mouth, but he wasn't lying. We were talking about your love being measured by not kicking each other in the face when presented with the opportunity."

Elphaba's eyebrow quirked. "When did I want to kick you in the face? More importantly, when did you want to kick _me_ in the face?"

"That's not what we meant, Fae. I meant that we're comfortable with each other," Fiyero tried to reassure her.

The look Elphaba gave him told him how weird that actually sounded. "Comfortable?"

Neima nodded. "Like an ol-"

Fiyero loudly cleared his throat. "Neima, I think I hear Mother calling you."

"I don't. Are you sure you're alright, Yero? You know, hearing voices is the first sign of –"

"Neima. _Good. Bye_. Before I tell my parents something they're not supposed to know."

Neima made a face. "You play dirty." She pinched his cheeks. "I'm impressed. Chip off the old block." She nodded discreetly, slipping out, and her footsteps quickly retreating down the hall.

Elphaba blinked. "What –"

"I told you I have dirt on her. Granted, she has more than me, but I know something that could get her confined to the castle for the rest of her life." He settled into a comfortable position. "Are you having fun here?"

"Of course. This is the best summer vacation I've ever had. Your family is so nice and the grounds are beautiful. So much livelier than Munchkinland."

"I thought the Governor's Mansion gardens were beautiful."

"They are. The grass is always trimmed and the flowers are colorful. It's lively, but lifeless." She glanced over at him. "Don't think so hard about it. I just wish we could stay like this."

"We still have the rest of our vacation. We're only a few weeks in. How about we go for a walk? I still have to show you the statue garden."

Elphaba agreed and the two headed out. The statues were all of Fiyero's ancestors and other important figures in Vinkun history. The tour consisted of Fiyero sharing stories about the figures, some very interesting, and others she could have gone the rest of her life without knowing.

"This is my great-great-great-uncle, King Deon. He was the first of the Tigulaar king to abdicate. He wanted to marry a noblewoman who wasn't considered eligible. Her status wasn't high enough and everyone was expecting him to marry an Ixian princess. But he put his foot down and got what he wanted on the condition that he give up the throne. The throne then went to his younger sister, Queen Matyze, the first regnant queen. She was the first monarch to live in Kiamo Ko. She hated it at first, saying it was gloomy and drafty, and she modernized it."

"Didn't she also lead the Vinkun troops during the Ugabu conflict?"

"While pregnant with my great-great-grandfather. Yes, she did. She was a badass. And she lived to be 101 years old, and was still kicking until the day she died. But she also weirdly became a standard. I've heard things like, 'If Queen Matyze can lead a battle while pregnant, you should be able to open the pickle jar!' more times than you think."

They continued their tour, with Fiyero proving that he really did know a lot about Vinkun history. They didn't know how long they were out there, but the next thing they knew, raindrops hit their faces and slid down their cheeks like tears. There was no warning before the downpour started.

"We should head back," Elphaba called over the rain.

"Do we?" Fiyero countered with a smirk. "I think a walk through the rain would be romantic."

"What won't be romantic is us being sick for the rest of the summer, just because you wanted to recreate one of the oldest romantic clichés in existence."

"Fine. Then let's race back."

"Race?"

"Yes. If I make it back first, you have to give me a kiss."

"And what if I make it back first?"

Fiyero chuckled. "You won't."

Elphaba's eyebrow quirked, then she smirked. "Ready! Set! Go!" and she took off running.

"That's not fair! I wasn't ready!" Fiyero called, sprinting after her. Even though he wasn't an avid runner, he was considered pretty fast. He had never seen her run, which, in his mind, only strengthened his argument.

Needless to say, he was wrong.

Elphaba won and happily collected her prize. When they pulled away, it was unclear whether Fiyero was out of breath from running or the kiss, or was struck breathless by how sexy Elphaba was when her wet hair stuck to her face.

Either way, he had to sit down.

"Come on," Elphaba smiled, wrapping an arm around his waist and helping him inside. "We'll dry off by the fire."

But as soon as they walked in, it was Elphaba's turn to be struck breathless.

When they walked in, the king and queen were waiting in the foyer, their faces a mixture of confused and worried. Because standing behind them… was Frex.

Elphaba felt like she had been punched in the chest, all the air knocked out of her lungs. What was her father doing there? How did he know she was there? She hadn't written to him. She knew he wouldn't have read the letter anyway.

"There you two are," Raal said, clearly still trying to find the right words to address the situation.

"We have a guest," Amalie said, her tone not as awkward. Her gaze never left Elphaba, trying to evaluate her response. She didn't know very much about the relationship between the Governor and his daughter, but knew how it basically wasn't ideal.

"Governor Thropp," Fiyero blinked, not even bothering to try and hide his shock.

"Father," Elphaba gasped, wiping her hair from her face. "I… what are you doing here?" Was he going to force her to return to Munchkinland with him? No, probably not. He wouldn't want to be around her anyway. But he wouldn't want her to be happy, either.

Frex was silent for a moment, his face blank as he looked Elphaba over. The green girl clearly wanted to avert her gaze, but for some reason, couldn't take her eyes off him. She hadn't seen him since before she left for Shiz, which seemed like a lifetime ago. She hadn't written to him since Lurlinemas. And he hadn't written to her, either.

"I've come to talk to you," he finally said, his tone giving no indication of his thoughts. He turned to the king. "Is there someplace we can talk privately?"

"The parlor," Fiyero offered. Based on what Elphaba's told him about her father, he really didn't trust him to be alone with her, father or not.

"Someplace more private," Frex pressed.

Elphaba stiffened and gripped Fiyero's hand. Frex's eyes traveled to their joint hands and his eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. That made Elphaba feel even more scared. No one said anything for a moment, then she slowly relaxed.

"Upstairs in my room," she whispered, gently releasing her grip on Fiyero's hand.

"Fae –" Fiyero started, but Elphaba shook her head.

"He came all this way for a reason. He's never done anything like this. It must be important. The least I should do is hear him out."

The prince didn't look happy, but trusted his girlfriend. If she said she would be okay, then he had to believe her. Even if he didn't believe it himself. Confronting her father was clearly something she thought she had to do on her own, which he completely understood. "Alright," he nodded, dropping her hand.

She faced her father. "Follow me." She led the way upstairs to her guest bedroom. She didn't look back, only needing to hear Frex's footsteps behind her. She led him inside, closing the door behind her. She moved to the bed and sat down, still refusing to look at him. She could feel the sheets absorbing the water from her clothes, but she didn't care.

"What's going on?" Frex finally asked.

She looked up at him. "I was wondering the same thing. You came all the way from Munchkinland. How did you know I was here?"

"I'm your father. I always end up finding out everything. Even when you thought I wasn't paying attention, I always was."

That didn't answer her question, but she knew it was the only answer she was going to get.

"Your grades arrived yesterday."

She had completely forgotten about that. Had her father come to chide her? How did he even know she was in the Vinkus?

"You aced all your classes."

This moment could not get more awkward. "Why are you really here? I doubt it's to congratulate me on my grades."

"I found these," he said, pulling a handful of folded papers from inside his jacket.

It took Elphaba a moment to realize those were all the letters she'd written to Nessa over the years. Her eyes widened. How had he found those?

"They were in Nessa's ice skate box."

She couldn't tell if he was angry or not, and it was starting to unnerve her. She just wished he would yell at her and get it over with.

"They date back to a week after her funeral. Was this your way of coping?"

"It's still my way of coping. And you weren't meant to find them."

"I thought her ice skates were in there."

"If you've come to yell at me, please just do it."

Frex looked taken aback. "I didn't come to yell at you, Elphaba. I came because I knew you wouldn't answer a letter." He took a deep breath. "Nessa's death wasn't your fault. Every letter to her ends with you apologizing for killing her. Even your most recent ones, from before you went to Shiz. You didn't kill her."

She had never heard her father talk like this. He had blamed her for her mother's death, albeit less vocally, but with Nessa's, he never let her forget it. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"I didn't know you still thought that."

"What else was I supposed to think? You were very vocal in your blame. At least you still looked at me after Mama's death – which I know you also blamed me for – but after Nessa's, you couldn't even stand to be in the same room as me. Why do you suddenly care now? You didn't even come to my high school graduation. While everyone else was celebrating with their friends and families, I walked home alone because I had neither."

"I'm your fa-"

"You never wanted me. The only people who got you to tolerate me were Mama and Nessa. But once they were gone, I no longer mattered."

"I wrote to you at Shiz. You never answered. Even when I threatened to come down there."

"I knew you wouldn't. You didn't even help me move in."

Frex was silent. "I didn't. And I'm sorry."

That caught her off-guard. Her father had never apologized to her for anything. But it got her full attention. "What?"

"I realized how I've had such a negative effect on you after reading the letters. I was so caught up in my own grief that I never stopped to consider yours."

Elphaba mulled over his words. "It will take a lot more than one little apology to make up the last nineteen years."

"I know."

"So what happens now?"

"Are you happy here?"

She honestly considered lying. "Yes. Being with Fiyero makes me happy."

"And you trust him?"

"Yes."

"And you play to stay here until you go back to Shiz?"

"I don't have anything in Munchkinland that I need."

Her tone told him she meant more than just her belongings. "Very well." He turned to go.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. I've done what I came here to do. I'll put these back where they belong. And I want you to know that… you can come home whenever you want."

Elphaba watched him go and flopped back onto her bed, his words dancing around her brain. That was the most awkward conversation she'd ever had with her father, and also the longest. And the only one not to involve any yelling on his part and crying on hers. She couldn't process through all her emotions at once, but recognized that she felt a bit lighter.

"Hey," came Fiyero's voice from the doorway.

She looked up and saw him leaning against the doorframe. "Hey," she whispered tiredly.

"How did it go?"

"You had your ear pressed against the door the entire time. You tell me."

"How did you know I had my ear pressed to the door?"

"I didn't, but I know you. But you just admitted it… and you're still wearing your wet clothes."

Fiyero tried to sputter a retort, but came up empty. "Alright, I just wanted to be close in case you wanted me. But I didn't hear everything. The door's really thick."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and pushed herself up. "He apologized."

"For?"

"Everything."

"That's very general."

"And also very specific. He also said he wants to start making amends."

He looked skeptical. "For nineteen years worth of emotional neglect?"

"I told him that it would take a while, but…"

"Do you want a relationship with him?"

"I've always said 'no' because it made it hurt less, but now… I don't know. I'll have to think about it."

"Well, while you're thinking about it, why don't we get out of these wet clothes?"

"You had a chance to dry off. You chose to be nosy."

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Mmhmm. Keep telling yourself that." She grabbed a fresh blouse and skirt and shooed her boyfriend from the room. As she closed the door behind him, she couldn't help but smile.

Sure, her life was crazy, and the most recent development made it even crazier, but now, everything was going to change. Things were different now. She now had someone in her life willing to do anything for her. And she was willing to anything for him.

* * *

**The End.**


End file.
